An updated checklist of the ants of Thailand (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Abstract

Thailand has a great diversity of ant fauna as a zoogeographical crossroads and biodiversity hotspot. The last publication presenting a Thai ant checklist was published in 2005. In the present paper, based on an examination of museum specimens and published records, a comprehensive and critical species list of Thai ants is synthesized. Currently, 529 valid species and subspecies in 109 genera among ten subfamilies are known from Thailand with their diversity and distribution within 77 provinces presented and assigned to six geographical regions. Furthermore, Thailand is the type locality for 81 ant species. Forty-one species are here newly recorded for Thailand with photographs illustrating these species. The checklist provides information on distribution and a comprehensive bibliography. This study will also serve as a guide for the upper northeast and central Thailand, which are poorly sampled; a comprehensive reference list relating to endemic taxa and localities where conservation is an important priority, thus an essential resource for policy makers and conservation planners concerned with the management of insect diversity in Thailand; and a list of exotic ant species found in Thailand, which could possibly impact the ecological balance.

A new species of the genus Carebara Westwood, 1840 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmecinae) inhabits a cave in Thailand

“…To date, 529 species of ants are known from Thailand, and at least 80 species are described as new to science from various types of habitat (Khachonpisitsak et al, 2020). Unfortunately, none of them were described from cave environments.…”

“…The ant genus Carebara is distributed worldwide, and is found mainly in tropical and subtropical areas, with 253 described species (Azorsa & Fisher, 2018). With respect to Carebara pygmaea (Emery, 1887) sensu lato, it has been recorded from a wide range in tropical Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, and various countries of Southeast Asia (Wheeler, 1909;Pfeiffer et al, 2011;Jaitrong et al, 2016;Antweb, 2020;Herwina et al, 2020;Khachonpisitsak et al, 2020). However, C. pygmaea was transferred to the genus Carebara Westwood, 1840 by Fischer et al (2014).…”

Ants of the genus Leptogenys Roger, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Ponerinae) from Nepal

“…DISTRIBUTION. Nepal (new record), India, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam (Xu & He, 2015;Guenard et al, 2017;Khachonpisitsak et al, 2020). DIAGNOSIS.…”

A New Species of the Ant Genus Dolichoderus Lund, 1831 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Thailand

“…Among them, about 32 species and 21 subspecies have been recorded from Southeast Asia. Thirteen species are known from Thailand in four species groups: D. cuspidatus, D. scabridus, D. sulcaticeps and D. thoracicus species groups (Dill, 2002;Khachonpisitsak et al, 2020). Of these, five species belong to the D. thoracicus species group: Dolichoderus affinis Emery, 1889; Dolichoderus butteli Forel, 1913;Dolichoderus brevis Santschi, 1920; Dolichoderus taprobanae Smith, 1858 and Dolichoderus thoracicus (Smith, 1860).…”