2 replies to this topic

[Ants_Dakota]

How can a non myrmecologist contribute to ant species range documentation?

As someone in the ant keeping community for over 10 years, the lack of myrmecologists has become apparent to me. The biggest way ant keepers are effected by this is through Antmaps, the most official system for documenting where species are native. This is the system used by APHIS for determining the permits issued to big time vendors, such as Stateside ants. As someone from a very understudied state (Tetramorium immigrans is not even native here according to antmaps, which is kind of crazy), I really want things to change. Recently I uploaded several images to inaturalist, basically an unofficial version of Antmaps, to confirm several more species that are native here that are not documented, such as Camponotus americanus, Formica vinculans, and Formica dolosa, and there are several more species I have seen with my eyes. All of these species have been offered by vendors at sometime, but I could not take advantage.

So to my question: How can someone submit species records to Antmaps?

I have the right materials to preserve ants in ethanoyl, and can research how to write labels, but what should happen after that? Does Antmaps or Antwiki take samples in? Any advice would be helpful!

Ants_Dakota

[ReignofRage]

Neither antmaps or antwiki take specimens, so it has to be gone about in a different way. The first way that comes to mind that would be the easiest is to send specimens in to Brian Fisher or Philip Ward. The specimens would end up at CAS, which is a museum that would curate and store the specimens... eventually. Once the records are uploaded to Antweb (which can take some time), you would then need to contact someone such as Evan Economo or Benoit Guénard about adding the records to Antmaps; there is a report page you could fill out and state that there are new records on Antweb that could be added. There are more costly ways that would require collaboration with a researcher and the funding to produce a publication.

 

A note for sending specimens in to Brian or Philip, send an email first to share that you want to send in specimens or at minimum add the records to Antweb in the hopes of having them added to Antmaps.

[Ants_Dakota]

Neither antmaps or antwiki take specimens, so it has to be gone about in a different way. The first way that comes to mind that would be the easiest is to send specimens in to Brian Fisher or Philip Ward. The specimens would end up at CAS, which is a museum that would curate and store the specimens... eventually. Once the records are uploaded to Antweb (which can take some time), you would then need to contact someone such as Evan Economo or Benoit Guénard about adding the records to Antmaps; there is a report page you could fill out and state that there are new records on Antweb that could be added. There are more costly ways that would require collaboration with a researcher and the funding to produce a publication.

 

A note for sending specimens in to Brian or Philip, send an email first to share that you want to send in specimens or at minimum add the records to Antweb in the hopes of having them added to Antmaps.

Thank you, that is very valuable advice!