New data on the myrmecofauna (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) of Deliblatska pescara - Deliblato sands - Serbia

Myrmecofauna of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as of other territories formerly constituting Yugosalvia is still insufficiently investigated. Such investigations are important because these territories belong to the Balkan Peninsula which is very rich in myrmecofauna. This is confirmed by the results of Ago s t i and Coli i n g woo d (1987) who registered 319 species in the myrmecofauna of the Balkans. Among them 72 species are registered in other Balkan countries, but still are not found in Yugoslavia. These authors also mentioned 42 species which could be expected in the myrmecofauna of the Balkans. Z i v 0 j i nov i c (1950) and V 0 g r i n (1955) registered certain number of ant species among other insect species in some regions of Yugoslavia. Exclusively myrmecological data are found in few myrmecological papers (Z i m mer man n 1934; Pet r 0 v 1986, 1992,1993; Petrov and Mesaros 1988; Karaman 1998; K a ram an et al. 1998; Coil i n g woo d and Petr 0 v 1999). Up to date, Ago s t i and Coli in g woo d (1987) reported 171 species of ants (Formicidae) for the myrmecofauna of former Yugoslavia. Pet r 0 v and Coil i n g woo d (1992) registered 210 species. The most recent knowledge including published and unpublished data, shows that the present number of known ant species of former Yugoslavia is 234 (Petrov upubl. data). Concerning the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the total number of known ant species is 160 (Petrov, unpubl. data). Deliblatska pescara (Deliblato Sands) does not belong to the Balkan Peninsula, but it is an adjacent region. It is situated in Serbia, about 70 km northeast from Belgrade and represents a part of the Pannonian Plain. It has an oval shape in NW-SE direction, and covers about 25.000 hectares. Its altitude ranges from 75 m a.s.l. on the southeast part, near the river Danube (Dubovac), up to 193 m a.s.l. on the northwest part (Pluc).