To most of us they are just, well, ants; those pesky little critters found everywhere. In the eyes of Kalesh Sadasivan and Manoj Vembayam, though, ants could well be the kings of the jungle. For a couple of years now, the two ant enthusiasts have been on their knees and feet, crawling and shifting through forests and gardens, in a bid to get up close and personal with ants.
Kalesh, a plastic surgeon, and Manoj, a mechanic with Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, have been leading a ‘systematic survey’ of ants in Kerala, perhaps the first of its kind. Both of them are members of Travancore Natural History Society (TNHS), a city-based non-governmental organisation studying natural history and biodiversity of the Western Ghats. TNHS, partnering with Kerala Biodiversity Board and Kerala Forest Department, has been compiling a checklist of ants in Kerala, complete with photographs and extensive studies on their taxonomy, nest construction, food habits, behavioural patterns and so on.
“We realised that there were no scientific surveys of the species or an updated checklist of ants of Kerala. There were attempts at surveys here and there. The last checklist, if we are not mistaken, was done some time in the 90s and before that in the colonial times – but that was only in areas where Brits used to reside, places such as Nedumkayam in Nilambur and Thenmala. Our aim is to document and photograph every ant species in Kerala and to describe all new species we encounter,” says Dr. Kalesh. “Ants are an intimate part of our lives yet we do not know much about them. Besides, ants are sensitive to climate change and one of the first species to be affected by variations in habitat. Therefore, they are valuable indicators of climate change at the micro level,” adds Manoj. The duo has already published a part of their findings in a book Urumbukal , published by Kerala Bhasha Institute.
Despite ants being everywhere, it’s easier said than done to study them, say the duo. For one, myrmecology (the study of ants) is a niche subject within entomology (the study of insects). “You really have to have a keen interest in ants. They are not as obviously distinctive as different species of birds or animals and often there are only minor variations between each species of ants,” explains Dr. Kalesh. Secondly, it’s a highly technical subject. “You need to know macrophotography. It’s most unglamorous a process for most of the time you are hunched over the microscope studying each specimen and identifying key indicators of each species of ants. During our survey, the most exciting experience, apart from the thrill of discovering new a species, was when I was hauled up unceremoniously by a policeman for crouching in the underbrush in Akkulam. He let me off only when I showed him my specimen samples! ” adds the doctor, also a keen birder and butterfly enthusiast. It was a capacity building workshop in taxonomy of ants for amateurs, led by Prof. Mustaq Ali – India’s ant man – that really helped him turn his focus on ants.
Manoj too has been a keen birding enthusiast since childhood and he says his interest in myrmecology was piqued by a book On A Trail With the Ants of India (2006). “After reading it, I started really looking at ants with my eyes wide open and discovered there was much to see in their little world,” he says. According to his teammate, Manoj has become such an expert that he can now identify almost all ants at first glance.
They have now only got the northern parts of the state to sift through and say that the project will take a year or so to complete. “We are anticipating that the total number of species will cross 350, possibly more. We are also in the process of publishing papers on each new species,” says Dr. Kalesh.
Dig in
There are several ways to study ants. ‘Active search’ is one, where you literally drop to the ground as and when you see an ant. Then there’s colony search – follow the food trail of the ant. Another is to ‘beat’ foliage with a twig and catch the ants that fall down on a white cloth and observe with a microscope. You can also sift through the soil, leaf litter, mulch, logs, boughs, branches…. “It is not necessary to examine very square inch of the land even though ants are invasive species and thrives in almost all ecosystems on the ground and on trees. Instead, we look at suitable, representative micro habitats in each place. Once we find one, there are several identification keys such as structure, hair, shape, measurement etc. If we can’t identify a species, we compare with other species, run through known databases and ask expert advice before declaring it a new one,” they explain. Microscopes and macro lenses are essential tools of the trade.
Under the microscope
The duo has identified over 280 different species of ants, including new species and has come up with some interesting observations. “For example, Myrmecinia Urbanii, supposedly rare and documented only from the Silent Valley, is actually a pretty common ant,” explains Manoj. “We’ve observed that some ants have dowry system! The new queens of Acropyga, which nests in the roots of trees and feeds of nectar from aphid, takes along the biggest and most mature aphid of the lot, when they move to build a new nest,” he adds.
Common ants
Yellow crazy ant – Chonan Urumbu
Black crazy ant – Karim Chonan
Fire ant – Kadi ururmbu
Greater Trapjaw ant – Vetturumbu
Godzilla ant – Karupppan Then Urumbu
Giant Honey ant – Then Urumbu
Weaver Ant – Neer
