A first comprehensive checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Chintamoni Kar bird sanctuary, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary (CKBS), West Bengal, is a small yet biodiverse urban forest fragment primarily known for its avifauna, while its insect diversity remains poorly documented. A previous faunal assessment by Mitra et al. (2018) recorded nine ant species as part of a broader insect survey. In the present study, a dedicated survey of ants conducted in October 2024 documented 34 species representing 24 genera across five subfamilies. When combined with the records of Mitra et al., the cumulative checklist for CKBS now comprises 35 species belonging to 25 genera. The subfamily Myrmicinae was the most species-rich, with 13 species (37.14%), followed by Formicinae with 12 species (34.29%) and Ponerinae with 5 species (14.29%). Several species are reported here for the first time from the sanctuary, providing valuable baseline data for future ecological and conservation monitoring of ant diversity in this protected area.