Revisiting Sri Lankan ants – an international effort

In the recent paper “The Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Sri Lanka: a taxonomic research summary and updated checklist”, Ratnayake Kaluarachchige Sriyani Dias, Benoit Guénard, Shahid Ali Akbar, Evan P. Economo, Warnakulasuriyage Sudesh Udayakantha, and Aijaz Ahmad Wachkoo present an updated checklist of the ant fauna in Sri Lanka. The list comprises eleven extant subfamilies with 341 valid ant species in 79 genera. They share notes about type localities, depositories, and relevant references to each species record. Here, Aijaz Ahmad Wachkoo shares some pictures.

A Photoblog contribution compiled by Aijaz Ahmad Wachkoo with photos by Sriyani Dias, Krishan Rajapakse, Sudesh Udayakantha, and Harsha Weerarathne

Aerial view of Sinharaja Forest Reserve — the country’s last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. (© Sriyani Dias)

Canopy and floor of Sinharaja Forest Reserve — home of many endemic taxa. (© Sriyani Dias)

Aneuretus simoni — one the most charismatic Sri Lankan ant species. (© Krishan Rajapakse)

Happy-go-lucky Sriyani Dias at the first International training course on field sampling and identification of Sri Lankan ants organized by her in September, 2016. (© Sudesh Udayakantha)

Seiki Yamane of Kagoshima University, Japan during the training course of September 2016: a) presenting his work on Aenictus ants; b) demonstrating the use of pitfall traps to collect ants. (© Sriyani Dias)

Survey on ants of Rilagala Forest Reserve, in Nuwara-Eliya during July, 2019 guided by Sriyani Dias & Sudesh Udayakantha. (© Sriyani Dias)

Aijaz Ahmad Wachkoo of India teaching specimen preparation to participants of February 2019 training course organized by Sriyani Dias at the University of Kelaniya. (© Sudesh Udayakantha)

Shahid Ali Akbar of India training a participant to identify ant species during February 2018 training course organized by Sriyani Dias at the University of Kelaniya. (© Sudesh Udayakantha)

Participants of the April 2017 training course on ant sampling efforts in Sri Lanka organized by Sriyani Dias at the University of Kelaniya, readying for hands-on learning to specimen preparation and identification of the collected ants. (© Harsha Weerarathne)