But care should be taken. I'm not about to suggest that one starts to hug an ant, but one should be aware of the precarious continued existence of one particular species. Extinction may be around the corner, which in entomological terms might normally mean thousands of years but which could be very much sooner for "lasius balearicus". This ant, which I shall refer to as L.B., has only recently been discovered, which makes its potential disappearance all the more disappointing. You go millions of years looking for a new species, only to find one that is on the point of becoming an ex-species. That's what one calls sod's law in the world of entomology I suppose.
Unless you happen to live on top of a mountain, you can be safe in the knowledge that L.B. isn't about to target your kitchen. L.B. is a mountain ant, and the higher the better, as it prefers cooler temperatures. It is only to be found on the higher peaks of the Tramuntana, which helps to explain why it had remained undiscovered for as long as it has been: roughly 1.5 million years. All that time ago, L.B. parted company with "lasius grandis", a species abundant on the mainland. High on a mountain, it formed its distinctive appearance. It is small even by ant standards, is hairy and has a yellowy-brown colour.
The discovery of L.B. has caused something of a sensation. Apart from anything else, it can truly be said to be an ant indigenous to the Balearics, one which evolved as it did because of isolation. It is an example of endemism, i.e. a species which is present in only a limited geographic area and which is part of a specific ecosystem that has undergone separate development. And up on the Tramuntana mountains is one such ecosystem.
The L.B. is metaphorically carrying a sandwich board proclaiming the end is nigh on account of two things. One, it rather foolishly doesn't like wooded or forested areas. Foolish? Yes, because forests would afford it some protection from the heat, which is point two. It has grown accustomed to a Mallorcan heat, but climate change and a rise in temperature would make this heat unbearable: hence, no more L.B.
It is researchers Gerard Talavera, Xavier Espadaler and Roger Vila who have reported the discovery of L.B. in the "Journal of Biogeography", though it would seem that they first unveiled the sensational news two years ago at a congress in Innsbruck. The researchers make the point that L.B.'s discovery shows that there is still biodiversity which remains undiscovered even in Europe and they add that the Tramuntana is an area which is rich in endemic species, not just L.B. but also, for example, the Mallorcan midwife toad, aka ferreret aka "alytes muletensis". They stress the importance of conserving natural habitats, such as those of the Tramuntana, in order that other species can be found before they also become extinct, though in the case of the L.B. there isn't, one would assume, a great deal of conservation that can be done if mother nature's heating system is turned up too high.
In a way it is perhaps surprising that there are discoveries to still be made in Europe. In some parts of the world it would be altogether less surprising, but this hasn't prevented six new species of so-called Dracula ants recently being found in Madagascar (they suck the blood of their young) or the mirror turtle ant being discovered in Brazil. It can apparently disguise itself by mimicking a different and aggressive ant and so get away with nicking its food.
As for the L.B. it doesn't go in for blood-sucking and doesn't have the need to infiltrate a rival ant's gang. It has more pressing concerns, i.e. a rise in temperature and its preference for rocky scrubland as opposed to cooler forest habitats. It has just been found but it might just also be on the point of being lost.
* My thanks to Simon Tow for pointing out the ant's discovery and to Xim Cerdá of the Doñana Biological Station for additional background information.
** Photo: Lasius balearicus, Gerard Talavera.
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