Entomologists of Altai State University discovered a new family of insects, unique for the fauna of Siberia

For the first time for the fauna of Siberia, a unique cricket from the family of anteaters (Myrmecophilidae) was noted.

These small wingless insects are characterized by a number of amazing features. Firstly, they live only in anthills, and secondly, they don’t have males, that is, reproduction occurs parthenogenetically. The anteater (Myrmecophilus acervorum) was known from various regions of Europe, Transcaucasia; in Russia it is recorded only in the Kaliningrad, Voronezh and Moscow regions. Recently it was brought to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. And the first discovery of this unique group of insects in Siberia was made in the vicinity of the city of Barnaul on the territory of one of the gardens.

“In anticipation of readers’ questions, the ant-eating cricket poses no threat to humans, including agriculture, it inhabits the nests of black garden ants, and may not be able to survive the winter, this summer studies will show it. It is noteworthy that this unique find was made by the schoolboy Timofey Zalutsky, who has long been interested in entomology and is going to enter our university. Timofei also became a co-author of the article where this find was reported,” comments Roman Yakovlev, Head of the Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Zoology of Altai State University.

“In anticipation of readers’ questions, the ant-eating cricket poses no threat to humans, including agriculture, it inhabits the nests of black garden ants, and may not be able to survive the winter, this summer studies will show it. It is noteworthy that this unique find was made by the schoolboy Timofey Zalutsky, who has long been interested in entomology and is going to enter our university. Timofei also became a co-author of the article where this find was reported,” comments Roman Yakovlev, Head of the Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Zoology of Altai State University.

The study was carried out within the framework of the State Assignment of the Ministry of Education and Science (project FZMW-2023-0006 "Endemic, local and invasive arthropods (Arthropoda) of the mountains of South Siberia and Central Asia: a unique gene pool of a biodiversity hotspot."