Environment and biodiversity
Ant Species in Singapore
14 September 2022
Singapore was recently found to have more ant species than any other city in the world.
According to a research by scientists from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) under the NUS Faculty of Science, Singapore documented 409 species of ants. These 409 species include new local records of 121 species and 34 species endemic to Singapore.
Image: Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM)
While most people may see ants as pests, #YouShouldKnow that ants in the wild are considered important ecosystem engineers, and play an important role in soil mixing, seed dispersal, and keeping other pest populations in check.
With only less than 1% of Singapore’s original forests remaining, diversity can lurk in our local urban landscape. Astonishingly, many of these ant species are found not just in designated nature reserves and protected forests, but in forest fragments peppered throughout our urban landscape.
Despite the mind-blowing numbers, more ant species remain to be discovered in Singapore.
🔗 More on this milestone study: https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/a-milestone-for-a-nation-a-sliver-of-hope-for-biodiversity-the-ants-of-singapore/
📄 Read the full paper: http://asian-myrmecology.org/doi/10.20362/am.015006.html