New species of ant like an alien found in Central America

Scientists discover 33 new species of ants, some of which are blind, in the Caribbean and Central America tropical rain forests. "When an ant seen from the microscope, what looks like a nightmare," says entomologist from the University of Utah, Jack Longino.

Longino describes the ants were having a face that seemed to have a shield with small dots at the edges of the eyes, a strong jaw and sharp teeth. They look like small alien monster, he said. The size of ant was quite small, about 2 millimeters.

This photo shows the magnified monster-like face of the ant Eurhopalothrix zipacna, named after Zipacna, a vicious, crocodile-like demon of Mayan mythology. It's found in the mountains of Guatemala and Honduras. (Picture from: http://www.livescience.com/)

When found, the ant is on the sidelines of the wood, crawling, and chewing insects mini. The new species mostly live in small areas that are part of forest conservation in Central America. According to Longino, the role of animals in the tropical rain forest contribute to the ecosystem, including the pollination process crop.

New species found in Guatemala and Honduras are named Eurhopalothrix zipacna, which means evil crocodile in the Mayan era. While the other species that live in Honduras and Costa Rica called Eurhopalothrix Xibalba, which means a place with a lot of surprising things.

The face of ant species Eurhopalothrix semicapillum, named for the hairy patches on its face. (Picture from: http://www.livescience.com/)

So far, scientists have found 15 thousand species of ants all over the world. "In total, the species of ant it is likely to reach 100 thousand," Longino said. The scientists have discovered 131 new species of ants. Studies show that the insects in tropical regions have a very high diversity. As half of the discovery of a new ant species have been described by the journal Zootaxa on July 29, 2013.

Types of ants whose specifications are described through this study comes from the genus Eurhopalothrix, whose fruits are distinguished by shape and body hair. While the insects of the genus Octostruma, which means "eight ant swelling" (swelling means swelling), distinguished by the antenna on his head. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LIVESCIENCE | SATWIKA MOVEMENTI | KORAN TEMPO 4309]
Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.