Ecuador: scientists seek to confirm the first record of a weaver ant species

A team of researchers from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), the University of Bologna (Italy) and the National Institute of Biodiversity (Inabio) of Ecuador They seek to confirm the first record of the weaver ant in Ecuadorian territory ‘camponotus textor’.

This discovery may expand the known distribution range of the species by approximately 1,042 kilometers from the closest point in Panama, according to Inabio in a statement.

Researchers Ignacio J. Moreno-Buitrón, Selene Escobar-Ramírez, Isabel Becdach-Mesia and Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia used participatory science data from the iNaturalist portal and scientific collections from Ecuadorian museums to better understand the distribution of ‘amponotus textor’ .

However, Inabio clarified that participatory science data, alone, cannot definitively confirm the presence of this ant in Ecuador due to the need for precise morphometric data.

“Although it is not possible to confirm iNaturalist observations with certainty as C. textor, the participatory data can serve as a first step in evaluating the potential distribution of this species in new areas,” added the Biodiversity Institute.

If this finding is confirmed with morphometric data, the number of known ant species in Ecuador would reach 826, and the species of the genus ‘camponotus’ to at least 61.

‘Camponotus’ It is the second largest genus of ants, after ‘pheidole’, with more than 1,000 described species, divided into 43 subgenera. At least 60 species and five subspecies have been described in continental Ecuador.

‘Camponotus textor’ has been recorded in Central America (Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama) and in South America (eastern Brazil, Bolivia and French Guiana).

The lack of information on its distribution and the possible confusion with older records, identified as ‘camponotus senex’ in northern South America, prevent us from determining whether this species is native to Ecuador or if it was recently introduced.

The situation is complicated due to the few scientific records and collections of ants in the Pacific lowlands of Ecuador, Inabio noted in its statement.

In that sense, he specified that the species richness and composition of ant communities in western Ecuador are still poorly known.

Although participatory science data is crucial to providing geographic information on these species, it is essential that identifying characters are clearly visible in photos uploaded to participatory platforms.

This study highlights the importance of combining scientific museum collections with participatory science data to identify cryptic species.

It may interest you

• Galapagos, a destination that becomes more exclusive for tourism to take care of the natural environment
• Scientists show how to make lunar soil fertile for agriculture
• The journey of the Andean bear Tupak to be free in Ecuador