In the Pilbara region of north-western Australia, scientists have discovered a new ant species from the elusive genus Leptanilla. This species, Leptanilla voldemort or L. voldemort, is a pale ant with a slender build, spindly legs, and long, sharp mandibles. The species name pays tribute to the dark wizard Lord Voldemort.Voldemort, the terrifying villain from the Harry Potter series, is likened to the ghostly and slender appearance of a newly discovered ant species and the dark underground environment from which it emerged.
Dr Mark Wong of the University of Western Australia and Jane McRae of Bennelongia Environmental Consultants have described the mysterious new species in a paper published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
The ant, named Leptanilla voldemort, was found during a survey to document subterranean animals in the arid Pilbara region of north-western Australia. Only two specimens of this unusual new ant species were found.ound. Both specimens were obtained using a net that was lowered into a 25-meter borehole and skillfully retrieved by scraping against the inner surface of the hole, a new method for gathering underground organisms known as ‘subterranean scraping.’
Compared to other species of Leptanilla ants, L. voldemort has a very slender body, as well as long, thin antennae and legs. In addition to being collected from a 25-meter deep borehole, this unique morphology has led experts to speculate whether it truly inhabits the soil like other Leptanilla species, or if it utilizes a different underground shelter, such as the<div id=”in
air-filled voids and cracks that form within layers of rock deeper underground.
The long, sharp jaws of L. voldemort are quite revealing.
“Leptanilla voldemort is most likely a predator, a formidable hunter in the darkness. This is supported by what we have learned from the few observations of specialized hunting behaviors in other Leptanilla ant species, where the small workers use their sharp jaws and powerful stings to immobilize soil-dwelling centipedes much larger than them, before transporting their larvae to feed on the carcass,” said Dr. Wong, the study’s lead author.
The specific prey of L. voldemort is currently unknown, but various other subterranean invertebrates such as centipedes, beetles, and flies were found in the same area.
There are more than 14,000 ant species globally, but only around 60 are part of the mysterious genus Leptanilla. In contrast to most ants, all Leptanilla species are hypogaeic, meaning their small colonies, typically consisting of a queen and about a hundred workers, nest and search for food exclusively underground. To adapt to life in the dark, Leptanilla workers are blind and colorless. The tiny membersIn the world of ants, these tiny creatures are only 1 to 2 millimetres in size, making them smaller than a grain of sand and allowing them to easily navigate through the soil. Due to their small size, light color, and unique underground homes, it is difficult for even expert ant scientists to find Leptanilla species, and much of their biology remains unknown. While Australia has a high level of ant diversity, with estimates of 1,300 to over 5,000 species, L. voldemort is only the second Leptanilla species discovered in the country. The first, Leptanilla was not named.The tiny ant species, known as L. voldemort, was first identified nearly 100 years ago when a small group was found under a rock in 1931. Since then, it has rarely been seen. The Pilbara, which began forming about 3.6 billion years back, is one of the oldest land areas on Earth. Despite the extremely hot summers and minimal rainfall, this region is home to important populations of underground invertebrates. The discovery of the mysterious ant L. voldemort adds to the unique biodiversity of this ancient landscape, showcasing the wonder of nature and the enigmatic life that exists in the depths of darkness.Reference::
- Mark K. L. Wong, Jane M. McRae. Leptanilla voldemort sp. nov., a delicate new species of the underground ant genus Leptanilla (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Pilbara, with a guide to Australian Leptanilla. ZooKeys, 2024; 1197: 171 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1197.114072