Asian Myrmecology, Volume 2, Ecology and Distribution
Diversity and richness of ant species in a lowland wet forest reserve in Sri Lanka
N.R.GUNAWARDENE 1*, J.D. MAJER 1 & J.P. EDIRISINGHE 2
1 Centre for Ecosystem Diversity and Dynamics, Department of Environmental Biology,
Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth WA 6845, Australia
2 Department of Zoology, Peradeniya University, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Abstract. Sinharaja Forest Reserve (SFR) represents one of the largest remaining
stands of mixed dipterocarp forest in southwestern Sri Lanka. It is characterised by
high floral and faunal endemicity and is gazetted as a World Heritage Site. Research
was undertaken to study the ground-dwelling ants in the SFR using pitfall traps and
leaf litter extraction. The collection was carried out in disturbed and undisturbed
primary forest, old selectively-logged forest (30 years old) and periphery forest
(agricultural buffer zone) along a small elevation gradient (200 m – 700 m). A total of
173 species and morphospecies in 11 subfamilies and 54 genera were caught. Pheidole
and Tetramorium were the most speciose genera, with 19 and 18 species respectively;
Cerapachys followed with 12 species. These results demonstrate the high diversity
of litter dwelling ant species in the SFR. There were no significant differences in
species richness between sites within the forest. Future studies should analyse species
assemblages in each forest type in relation to forest structure and environmental
parameters to further understand the distribution of ant species across this unique
and complex forest.
Keywords: Formicidae, tropical rain forest, dipterocarp forest, species richness