In a new research from India, a team of researchers discovered a unique, stunning blue-coloured ant species in the "biodiversity hotspot" of Arunachal Pradesh. Named Paraparatrechina neela, the species is a small ant less than two millimetres long, with a predominantly metallic blue body. This discovery is a fitting tribute to the centennial anniversary of the "Abhor" expedition, a military expedition which also extensively documented the natural history and geography of Siang Valley. Interestingly, while the blue coloration is commonly observed in other insects, it is relatively rare in ants, making this finding even more significant.
A team of researchers from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and Felis Creations Bangalore recently discovered a unique and beautiful blue-coloured ant species, Paraparatrechina neela, in the Siang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. The findings were published in the journal ZooKeys, and the researchers have named the species as a tribute to its rare metallic blue colour, with only a few other ant species displaying this trait. The discovery was made during a resurvey of the region's biodiversity, a century after a previous expedition documented its natural history and geography.