A foreign , ghost - likeantdiscovered thick underground has been declared a new species , with a shiny newHarry Potter - theme name to boot . Leptanilla voldemort , as the novel mintage has been call , is pale , slender , and prefer life on the dark side , much like its namesake .
Just two specimens of the mysterious ant were discovered in the dark depths of the subway system in Pilbara , northward - westerly Australia . They have an highly supple body as well as long , spindly antenna and legs , and farseeing , needlelike mandibles .
This unusual morphology has raised pile of question about the new metal money , but one affair seems certain : “ Leptanilla voldemortis almost surely a predator , a fearsome hunter in the darkness , ” Dr Mark Wong , lead author of a study describe the species , said in astatement .
A full-face view ofL. voldemort, showing its sharp mandibles.Image credit: Mark K. L. Wong, Jane M. McRae
“ This is backed up by what we know from the few reflection of specialised hunt behaviors in otherLeptanillaant coinage , where the petite actor apply their sharp jaws and hefty gyp to immobilize territory - abode centipedes much bombastic than them , before carry their larvae over to feed on the carcase . ”
What exactlyL. voldemortpreys upon is not known – but centipedes , beetles , and flies were among a issue of subterranean invertebrates collect in the same area .
Leptanillais an elusive genus of ant – only around 60 know metal money go to it – that forms little colonies and nests and forages entirely underground . Antswithin the genus are pale , blind , and teeny tiny – quantify just 1 - 2 millimeters ( 0.04 - 0.08 inch ) – and as such are seldom collected and poorly understood .
The two individuals ofL. voldemortcollected in Pilbara.Image credit: Mark K. L. Wong, Jane M. McRae
In fact , L. voldemortis only the 2nd leptanilline species ever document in Australia , the first beingLeptanilla swani , which was described in 1932 and has barely been spot since .
Almost a century later , this newly discovered “ ghostly ” ant is join that exclusive night club . During an ecological survey to text file animal living belowground in Pilbara – one of the oldest demesne surface on Earth – scientist lowered a net down a 25 - meter ( 82 - groundwork ) hole , scraping the sides in the Leslie Townes Hope of convalesce some strange subterranean specimens . And they were n’t disappointed .
Because of its svelte build , L. voldemortis unlike any otherLeptanillaspecies , asunder from one found in Iran . It ’s also much see - through , hence its comparison to He - Who - Must - Not - Be - make . The cognomen “ pays tribute to the adversary in theHarry Potterbook series , Lord Voldemort , a terrific wizard who , like the newfangled ant , is slim , pale , and fly high in darkness , ” the team behind the discovery save in their subject field .
A top-down view ofL. voldemort.Image credit: Mark K. L. Wong, Jane M. McRae
L. voldemortisn’t the first curious creature to pay court to the wizarding earth . Weird and wonderful beasties have been bring up after all sorts of people , places , and things in the canon – frombeloved charactersand“redeemed ” villainstodementorsand even thesorting hat .
The fresh study is write in the journalZooKeys .
