A study on the hymenopteran diversity with special Reference to ants (formicidae) of kalamassery Municipality

Abstract

Ants are the most abundant and ecological significant organism on earth. They are the highly developed social insects. Present study deals with the diversity of ants in Kalamassery municipality, Kerala. It is a most populated municipality in kanayannur sub district. The main objective of the study was to collect ants from different sites and to study about their diversity. Ants were collected from different sites of kalamassery using all out search method, bait method, brush method, pit fall trap, hand collection and opportunistic method. The photographs of different ants were also taken. 20 species were collected from this region and are identified with the help of Rabeesh T P research scholar, Department of zoology, St. Xaviers college, Aluva. Among the subfamilies reported from the study area formicinae was dominant with 9 species followed by myrmicinae and ponerinae with 5 species and dolichoderinae with 1 species. The diversity is poor in Kalamassery due to high use of chemicals, varying climatic conditions, deforestation and urbanization. This study helps to know more about ant diversity at present and can compare it with the future. By increasing the biodiversity ant diversity can be increased in the study areas.