Plant Protection (Scientific Journal of Agriculture)

Plant Protection (Scientific Journal of Agriculture)

A list of ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) recorded in Khuzestan Province, south western Iran

Document Type : Research paper-English

Authors
1 PhD student, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2 Professor, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Department of Plant Protection, Agricultural College, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
Abstract
Khuzestan Province in south‑western Iran occupies a biogeographically important position at the interface between the western Palaearctic region and the lowlands bordering the Persian Gulf, yet its ant fauna has remained poorly documented in national compilations. In the present study, all available published records of ants from Khuzestan were compiled and critically appraised, with these data being supplemented by new field collections from western lowland localities. Ants were sampled using pitfall traps and hand collecting across a range of habitats, including two protected areas. Species identifications were based on standard regional taxonomic literature and updated catalogues, and were checked, where possible, against reference material. In total, 59 ant species, including four new provincial records, were documented from Khuzestan Province, belonging to five subfamilies (Dolichoderinae, Formicinae, Myrmicinae, Ponerinae and Dorylinae). This represents a substantial increase compared with earlier national checklists, which reported only a handful of species from the province, also revealing a strong bias of existing records toward agricultural and urban habitats. The mountainous eastern parts of Khuzestan, associated with the Zagros range, remain largely unexplored and are expected to yield additional taxa with further targeted sampling. The present compilation provides a baseline for future faunistic, ecological and biogeographical studies on ants in south‑western Iran.
Keywords
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