Ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) registered for Tocantins State, Brazil, with discussion about priority areas for research

Abstract

The Formicidae Collection of the Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo/MZUSP is recognized as one of the largest ant collections in the world and most representative in the Neotropical myrmecofauna. The collection gathers data for the development of different researches, especially those related to knowledge of Brazilian biodiversity. Only the Brazilian states of Maranhão, Mato Grosso do Sul Paraná, Pernambuco and Santa Catarina have lists of ant species published. Besides that, the researches with Formicidae have been carried out mostly on areas of: 1) Atlantic Forest in Southern and Southeastern Brazil, and in the Bahia and Pernambuco states; 2) Amazon Forest, in Amazonas and Pará states; 3) Serra da Bodoquena, in Mato Grasso do Sul state. Clearly have a lack of studies on the central region of Brazil, as in the Tocantins state, whose ant fauna remains to this day mostly unknown. There is no published inventory study, even considering the diversity of phytophysiognomies present in the Tocantins state, as Cerrado (Brazilian Savannah), Amazon, Gallery and Seasonal Forests. Fauna inventories, occurrence records, habitat data, and the publication of taxonomic lists have an enormous scientific relevance, as they are the primary elements for understanding the functional relationships between organisms that compose the ecosystems and for the elaboration of conservation projects.