Biodiversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in west Miankaleh peninsula

The conservation of biodiversity is necessities sustainable development programs. Conservation of biodiversity relies strongly on the evaluation of extant species factors which affect diversity aspects in a given area. To investigate biodiversity of ants in Miankaleh, a 411 pitfall 110 localities were placed in west, from Oct. 2018 to 2019. Pitfalls were collected 48 hours after place. Then, samples were taken out of the traps, counted, weighted and identified as morphotypes. Sample-based used to test the reliability of sampling. Shannon, Dominance, and Margaret indexes were calculated, dominance and richness respectively. Most individuals were in four genera of Messor, Aphoenogast, Crematogaster and Tapinoma, 84% of samples. Shannon, Dominace and Marglef indices were 0.64, 0.63 and 0.76 respectively. Diversity and richness decreased dramatically in winter so that there were statistically significant differences between them (p<0.01). Taxon's dominance was at the highest in winter and lowest in summer. There was a statistically significant difference between the diversity index of two seasons (p<0.01). Ordination based on principle component analysis Showed the most effective factor on ants’ biodiversity is changes of weather that is associated with seasons change, so that the dominant species were different in springs, winter and summer and a decrease was seen in all taxa in winter. There were a statistically significant positive correlation between Shannon index and minimum and maximum temperatures and negative correlation between dominance and minimum and maximum temperatures and of Dominance was significant negatively.