Indian researchers describe a rare and new species of ant, Syllophopsis peetersi.
The species, discovered in Silent Valley National Park, a biodiversity hotspot in Kerala in the Western Ghats. The discovery, published in Zootaxa, is viewable online. Syllophopsis is a species of monomorphic ants. However, the discovery marks the first report of the ant genus Syllophopsis in the Indian subcontinent. Besides, it is present in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Oceania. The genus now has a total of 23 species.
Researchers named the species in the fond memory of Christian Peeters. Peeters is a researcher and professor at the French National Science Agency (CNRS). The myrmecologist i.e., an ant biologist passed away last year. Moreover, the study is a multi-institutional effort. So, it is conducted by researchers from the Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab University, Patiala, and Govt. Degree College, Shopian. In addition to this, it includes a researcher from Poland’s Institute of Biology, Biotechnology, and Environmental Protection at the University of Silesia.
“We describe a new ant species in the memory of Christian Peeters. The first record of the myrmicine ant genus Syllophopsis Santschi, 1915 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from India with a description of a new species,” tweeted Himendar Bharti, a myrmecologist and Evolutionary Biologist.
Syllophopsis peetersi is very similar to congeners from Madagascar. However, there were differences that led to the description and formation of the new species. The new species of ant was analyzed through a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). This helped in elucidating the general morphology and sensilla. Sensilla is a simple sensory receptor present in arthropods. Scanning electron microscopes provide detailed images of a sample by scanning its surface using a beam of electrons.