Overview

Ants, comprising the family Formicidae, belong to a single taxon with a global distribution. Ants are found in the greatest diversity in tropical and subtropical zones but also occur in deserts, high up in the Andes and the Himalayas as well as at extreme northern and southern latitudes. Ants have been discovered inside of special host plants, in semi-aquatic environments and from deep soil to the tip of the forest canopy. One of the driving forces behind this amazing planetary coverage is their unique social structure. Current progress in ant phylogeny, evolution, behavior and conservation of habitats is dependent on ant taxonomy. More than 12,000 species of ants have been described during the last 250 years. An estimate of 20,000 to 25,000 species of ants inhabiting the earth puts this naming effort close to the half-way mark.

Representatives from the ant community, sponsored by Harvard University, The Consortium of the Barcode of Life (CBOL), and the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) met under the topic “Global Ant Project” (GAP) in May of 2008. At this recent GAP meeting, a vision to enhance how ants are catalogued, visualized and identified on a global basis was formed.