ANTS OF THE BRAZILIAN PAMPA: INSIGHTS INTO DIVERSITY, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSERVATION

The Brazilian Pampa biome is characterized by extensive subtropical grasslands shaped by climatic patterns and natural disturbances. It is one of the Brazilian biomes with the lowest levels of formal protection and faces increasing threats from land-use conversion, while remaining among the least studied in terms of biodiversity. Ants represent an important component of its fauna, playing fundamental ecological roles, yet they remain particularly understudied in this biome. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge on the ant fauna of the Brazilian Pampa. We first compiled a database of ant species records and their distribution across different ecological systems. We then reviewed published and gray literature on ant diversity to assess what is known about their responses to anthropogenic threats, ecological interactions, and occurrences in urban environments. Our synthesis documented 205 nominal species, along with many unidentified morphospecies, distributed across different grassland physiognomies and associated ecosystems. This review highlights major spatial, taxonomic, and thematic knowledge gaps and underscores the urgent need for more comprehensive and integrative studies. We hope our synthesis provides a baseline for future research, supporting biodiversity monitoring and the development of conservation strategies for the increasingly threatened Brazilian Pampa.