Two new-to-science ant species have been identified from Andhra Pradesh in the Eastern Ghats. Belonging to the genus Aenictus, they are false army ants. That may sound like an insult, but this genus is called false army ants because of their size — smaller than true army ants while behaving like one. They move their nests frequently, forage collectively and in coordinated groups.
“Aenictus is a large genus with more than 200 species recorded globally. In India, we previously knew of around 38 species, and with the addition of these two new ones, that number stands at 40,” says Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), who is part of the study.
The study, published in Asian Myrmecology, introduces Aenictus chittoorensis sp. nov. (from the A. philippinensis group) and A. lankamallensis sp. nov. (from the A. javanus group), based on worker caste specimens collected via aspirator in wildlife sanctuaries. Both specimens were collected from protected areas in Andhra Pradesh — one from the Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary and the other from the Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary. One of the new species has been named after the sanctuary where it was found, while the second has been named after the Chittoor district, where the Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary is located, according to lead author Bikash Sahoo, a PhD scholar at School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research.
These ants are top predators, ecologically equivalent to large predators such as tigers and lions in forest food webs, Sahoo explains. Predatory ants play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. “At a time when forests are declining day by day, the discovery of new species highlights how much biodiversity still remains undocumented and reinforces the importance of conservation,” he adds.
One more significance of the study lies in its location, the Eastern Ghats, one of the least-studied geographic regions for endemism. Sahoo says he previously studied ants in Western Ghats, discovering two species, one from Kerala and another from Karnataka.
Historically, biodiversity hotspots such as the Western Ghats, Northeast India, and the Western Himalayas have received more scientific attention. In contrast, regions like the Eastern Ghats, the Gangetic Plains, and states such as Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat remain comparatively under-surveyed. “The findings highlight a significant gap in biodiversity inventories. If new species are still being discovered among ants, a well-studied group, it suggests that many more species across other taxa remain undocumented,” Dharma Rajan says.
Banner image: Aenictus chittoorensis, one of the two new-to-science ant species discovered from the Eastern Ghats. Image by Bikash Sahoo.
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