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New Ant Species
Context:
New ant species discovered from Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
More on News:
- Discovery was a collaborative effort between researchers from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and the University of Florida.
- It was made during a series of expeditions to the Siang Valley, a renowned “Himalayan biodiversity hotspot”, under the banner ‘Siang Expedition’.
About the Ant species:
- Belonging to the rare genus ParaParatrechina, the blue-coloured insect has been named Paraparatrechina neela.
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Features:
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- Small ant with a total length of less than 2mm.
- The head is sub triangular with large eyes and has a triangular mouthpart (mandible) featuring five teeth.
- Its body is predominantly metallic blue, except for the antennae, mandibles, and legs.
- In many Indian languages, “Neela” symbolises blue, a choice deemed a fitting tribute to the ant’s distinctive colouring.
- Out of the 16,724 known species and subspecies of ants worldwide, only a few exhibit at least partial blue colouration or iridescence.
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Siang Valley:
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