https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9042-0129
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Abstract
Despite the historical efforts to list and organize the taxonomic knowledge about the Brazilian ant fauna, the most diverse in the world, several gaps regarding species distribution data and sampling coverage persist. In an attempt to fill some of these gaps, we here apply a scientometric approach to provide an updated overview of the ants of Brazil based on formal publications on ant diversity in the Brazilian territory. In the last 50 years, ant diversity studies in Brazil revealed 1130 species, corresponding to around 70% of the species known to occur in the country. The Brazilian biomes with the highest number of described species recorded were, respectively, the Amazon Forest (716 species), Atlantic Forest (657 species), Cerrado (389 species), Caatinga (185 species), Pantanal (143 species), and Pampa (86 species). Considering the number and frequency of unidentified species, the genera Azteca, Hypoponera, Pheidole, and Solenopsis represent the main knowledge frontiers regarding taxonomic resolution, with more than 80% of their records associated with morphospecies codes in diversity studies in Brazil. Moreover, around 7.5% of the papers presented inconsistences in their species lists regarding the validity of taxonomic names, and we found studies for which some taxa records are geographically implausible. Besides demonstrating the importance of ecological publications to the ant diversity knowledge in Brazil, our findings highlight a strong sampling bias in ant occurrence data in the country, with species records unevenly distributed across Brazilian biomes. In short, our results constitute valuable information for future projects on ant taxonomy and surveying in Brazilian natural areas.
Acknowledgements
The nearly 500 publications gathered in this survey were almost entirely financed by Brazilian research development agencies in the form of fellowships to graduate students and grants to researchers and institutions. These same agencies have suffered drastic cuts in their budgets in recent governments, compromising the continuity of research programs and the training of young scientists in Brazil. No less worrying is the environmental policy imposed by the current Brazilian government. In the last few years, we have witnessed an alarming growth of deforestation rates in Brazilian natural areas and even the encouragement of illicit activities associated with environmental degradation in Brazil, such as mining, arsons, and illegal exploitation of natural resources in pristine ecosystems. We here register our deep gratitude to funding agencies, educational and research institutions and environmental inspection agents who have been fighting for the conservation of the massive Brazilian biodiversity.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare no competing interests and their organizations had no role in any steps of the development of this study, from its design to submission for publication.
Authors’ contributions
R. M. Feitosa designed the study, compiled, organized and analyzed the data, wrote the manuscript, discussed concepts, revised and approved its final version. G. P. Camacho, T. S. R. Silva, N. Ladino, A. M. Oliveira, and M. A. Ulysséa compiled, organized and analyzed the data, wrote the manuscript, discussed concepts, revised and approved its final version. C. R. Ribas and F. A. Schmidt designed the study, compiled data, revised and approved its final version. All the remaining coauthors compiled data, revised and approved the final version.
Supplemental material
Supplemental material for this article can be accessed here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2022.2089268.
Funding
This study was supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) through fellowships to R. M. Feitosa, T. J. Izzo, J. C. Santos, R. Solar, F. B. Baccaro, A. Nogueira, and J. L. P. Souza [grants 3014495/2019-0; 309552/2018-4; 312752/2018-0; 305739/2019-0; 313986/2020-7; 434692/2018, 302065/2021-0]; the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) through fellowships to M. A. Ulysséa and A. Nogueira [grants 2012/21309-7, 2015/06485-1, 2018/11453-0, 2019/21309-7]; the National Science Foundation and the Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution through fellowships to E.Z. de Albuquerque [grant DEB1654829]; and CEMIG—Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais S.A. through fellowship to A. C. M. Queiroz [project P&D 611—Descomissionamento da PCH Pandeiros: Uma experiência inédita na América do Sul].
Associate Editor: Rosa Fernandez