Researchers Discover a Unique Ant Species in Morocco

Moroccan researcher Ahmed Taheri, from Abdelmalek Essaâdi University in Tétouan, together with an international team of six scientists, has achieved a remarkable scientific breakthrough with the discovery of a new ant species in the commune of Tanalte, located in the province of Chtouka Aït Baha. The species has been named Temnothorax lailae.

For this discovery—published in the prestigious American journal Insect Systematics and Diversity—the scientists relied on a vast database of 527 samples collected from 170 sites across the Mediterranean basin. The researchers examined more than 24 morphometric characteristics for each specimen, including features of the head, thorax, abdomen, and total body length, as part of a comprehensive taxonomic review of the Temnothorax rottenbergii group.

In parallel, the team used ultraconserved elements (UCE) technology, one of the most advanced tools in evolutionary genetics, to trace fine-scale relationships between closely related species and correct taxonomic errors that have accumulated over decades.

The newly identified species, named Temnothorax lailae in tribute to the researcher’s wife, Laila, is distinguished by its dark coloration, small size, and extremely fine patterns visible only through specialized microscopic examination. This ant appears capable of surviving in cold climates and high altitudes in the Little Atlas Mountains, and has so far not been observed outside its original habitat.

Ahmed Taheri emphasizes that Morocco is now the second-largest center of ant diversity in the Mediterranean basin after Turkey, with the potential to surpass it if investment in scientific research continues to grow. With this discovery, the number of species belonging to the Temnothorax rottenbergii group recorded in Morocco now reaches seven, a record figure at the African level.