It all began in 1758, when Carl von Linné scientifically described the first 17 ant species. Since then, the number of known species has increased rapidly: today, around 14,260 living and about 810 fossil species of these eusocial animals have been scientifically described worldwide. “Among all social insects, ants are the undisputed leaders in terms of their abundance, global distribution, and ecological importance,” explains the new study’s co-first author, Dr. Jill T. Oberski from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt, and she continues, “Ants emerged in the late Jurassic or early Cretaceous period and dominate almost all habitats today – from subpolar forests to tropical deserts, where they fulfill central ecological functions: They interact with plants, fungi, aphids, countless soil organisms, and even vertebrates; they regulate other arthropod populations, spread plant seeds, and shape the structure of entire ecosystems.”

Together with Dr. Brendon E. Boudinot (Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt), Dr. Gabriela P. Camacho (Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil), and Dr. Zachary H. Griebenow (Colorado State University, USA) as well as collaborating researchers from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, Hungary, India, Italy, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, and the USA, the authors have summarized the current state of knowledge about ant diversity. The international team also traces the history of the classification of ants and sheds light on the enormous growth of this research field in the new millennium. “Modern ant systematics has changed fundamentally as a result of technological advances. DNA sequencing, model-based hypothesis testing, and precise imaging techniques have made it possible to record the relationships within the family Formicidae much more accurately than ever before,” says Boudinot, and he continues, “We estimate that the actual number of ant species worldwide is two to three times higher than the approximately 14,000 that have been scientifically described to date.”

As the study emphasizes, many research projects focus on Europe and North America – regions that are home to only a small proportion of global insect diversity. “In Europe, the ant fauna is rather well-documented,” says Oberski. “However, despite intensive research, certain parts of the Mediterranean are among the regions with the highest number of undiscovered species.” In Asia, many areas are still poorly explored: the Himalayas, north-east India, Burma, parts of Thailand, Vietnam, and numerous Philippine and Indonesian islands are considered hotspots of rare species. In Africa, too, much still remains undiscovered. Despite intensive research in recent decades, large parts of the continent have hardly been explored. Over 60 percent of African ant species have not yet been described, especially in the Congo Basin, the Eastern Arc and Albertine Rift, in Central Africa, and in northern Mozambique and Zambia, according to the research team. “It is obvious that the numbers of ant species recorded increase with the research effort. For example, 142 species are known so far from Zambia, compared to 475 species from the smaller but better-studied country of Zimbabwe,” adds Boudinot. In order to facilitate scientific exchange, the research team is now proposing an informal naming system for the higher ant groups, based on already established names as well as new names that have been jointly selected.

“To ensure that ant research continues to flourish in the long term, however, it will also be crucial to attract new experts to the field of systematics – for example through practical field courses and research projects for students. This is the only way to ensure the continued growth of myrmecological research in the future,” adds Oberski in conclusion.

Publication: Jill T Oberski*, Z.H. Griebenow*, … (39 authors) … G.P. Camacho**, Brendon E. Boudinot** (2025): Ant systematics: past, present, and future. Insect Systematics and Diversity, Volume 9, Issue 4, July 2025, 11, https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixaf025

* = co-first author. ** = co-last author.