This map is pretty accurate.
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@futurebird Um, New Zealand? Trimmed off the global map again.
To be fair ya'll were NOT making the ant species top fifty with just a few dozen species.
It's a little disturbing how few ants are in NZ. It must have been very cold for a period ...
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This map is pretty accurate. However, these are described ants and I think the numbers in south Asia are low... that is the region of peak ant diversity. There are many more ants to be described.
Well and Australian antkeepers have just so much wealth its upsetting.
The US and Mexico aren't doing *so* bad. And we have leafcutters and other fungi farming ants and only SA also gets to enjoy such creatures.
Via Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ant/comments/1l0oehc/the_50_countries_with_the_most_ant_species/
@futurebird #Aotearoa/New Zealand is thankfully missing from the map so that the ants don't begin to regard our country as a desirable destination.
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To be fair ya'll were NOT making the ant species top fifty with just a few dozen species.
It's a little disturbing how few ants are in NZ. It must have been very cold for a period ...
@futurebird Yes, the glacial maxima were cold in NZ. Cold was the normal here for most of the past million years of so, and it’s the conditions most of our native species thrive in. Since we’re isolated, most warm loving species (eg most ants) were lost.
Now that we’re in one of the short warm interglacial periods, and on top of that humans have added lots of fossil fuel powered global warming, NZ is *way* warmer than what most native species like best. As a result, and helped by global trade and tourism, we’re quickly filling up with Australian species, while many of our native species are migrating southwards.
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@futurebird #Aotearoa/New Zealand is thankfully missing from the map so that the ants don't begin to regard our country as a desirable destination.
There are only 11 endemic species! And even those don't go back deep into the past. There are some introduced species and they are causing problems.
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F myrmepropagandist shared this topic
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@futurebird Yes, the glacial maxima were cold in NZ. Cold was the normal here for most of the past million years of so, and it’s the conditions most of our native species thrive in. Since we’re isolated, most warm loving species (eg most ants) were lost.
Now that we’re in one of the short warm interglacial periods, and on top of that humans have added lots of fossil fuel powered global warming, NZ is *way* warmer than what most native species like best. As a result, and helped by global trade and tourism, we’re quickly filling up with Australian species, while many of our native species are migrating southwards.
Have you considered towing the islands south a bit? /jk
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This map is pretty accurate. However, these are described ants and I think the numbers in south Asia are low... that is the region of peak ant diversity. There are many more ants to be described.
Well and Australian antkeepers have just so much wealth its upsetting.
The US and Mexico aren't doing *so* bad. And we have leafcutters and other fungi farming ants and only SA also gets to enjoy such creatures.
Via Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ant/comments/1l0oehc/the_50_countries_with_the_most_ant_species/
@futurebird # spp per nation is a very artificial way to look! it should be # per square mile or 1000 square miles...
i remember reading a paper 2 decades ago on the 10 ant species in alaska.
curious no data for canada? I know there's was a guy in chicoutamie (?) quebec doing a revision of Formica...
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This map is pretty accurate. However, these are described ants and I think the numbers in south Asia are low... that is the region of peak ant diversity. There are many more ants to be described.
Well and Australian antkeepers have just so much wealth its upsetting.
The US and Mexico aren't doing *so* bad. And we have leafcutters and other fungi farming ants and only SA also gets to enjoy such creatures.
Via Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ant/comments/1l0oehc/the_50_countries_with_the_most_ant_species/
@futurebird the map mostly shows where the myrmecologists live or like to study. there are not MANY myrmecologists to go around!
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@futurebird # spp per nation is a very artificial way to look! it should be # per square mile or 1000 square miles...
i remember reading a paper 2 decades ago on the 10 ant species in alaska.
curious no data for canada? I know there's was a guy in chicoutamie (?) quebec doing a revision of Formica...
Canada isn't in the top 50.
I think I saw a density map like what you described, I will see if I can find it again.
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Canada isn't in the top 50.
I think I saw a density map like what you described, I will see if I can find it again.
@futurebird but it foolishly shows alaska in red! just aint enough myrmecologists in canada!
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Have you considered towing the islands south a bit? /jk
@futurebird Good thinking. If we could find Māui to help, that might be possible. Legend has it that he's moved the South Island-Te Wai Pounamu about before, using it as a waka for fishing.
