Entomologist and conservation biologist Norina Vicente focuses on the evolutionary history of the eusocial, wingless wasps “ants” of poorly known regions, Afrotropical and Malagasy. For millennia, insects, especially ants, have been misunderstood due to their small size, alien appearance and strange morphology. In reality, ants provide a multitude of ecosystem services that benefit other organisms, such as helping plant fertilisation by bringing nutrients to surface soils, promoting seed dispersal and establishing symbiotic relationships with plants, decomposing organic matter and maintaining population equilibrium, and preying on other species. Understanding the diversity of ants also helps us better understand models of eusociality in other invertebrates as well as vertebrates, such as humans.

This project aims to conduct a comprehensive survey of the Mesoponera genus, rediscover ants species in Guinea’s forest, support a detailed taxonomic description, and have representative specimens in museum collections. The Mesoponera is a poorly known tropical genera restricted to the Old-World tropics, from sub-Saharan Africa to Australia and the Solomon Islands. The results will help inform the designation and management of the protected areas in the region. Of the 27 worldwide Ponerinae species, 21 occur in Afrotropical regions, with variations in each species and country. There is a significant gap in specimens collected from Guinea, which has eight recognized species and one subspecies, underscoring the need to conduct a comprehensive biological survey on ant diversity. Since many species in nature share the same niche as ants, an extensive biodiversity survey of other invertebrates will be conducted to estimate their abundance and create a systematic database of all the species occurring in that area to support conservation efforts. Lastly, this project will train local communities in Myrmecology, develop their careers as insect collectors and educators, and enable participants to continue working in science and collaborating with future scientists.

Norina is a Half-Earth Scholar and and associate research scientist at the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, where she helps explore and document the park’s biodiversity.  She currently is pursuing a master’s degree in integrative biology at San Francisco State University.