What is Paraparatrechina neela?

About Paraparatrechina neela:

• It is a new ant species discovered from Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
• This new species belongs to the rare genus Paraparatrechina and has been named Paraparatrechina neela.
  • The word “neela” signifies the colour blue in most Indian languages—a fitting tribute to the ant's unique colour.
• This discovery signifies the first new species of Paraparatrechina in 121 years since the description of the sole previously known species, P. aseta (Forel, 1902), in the Indian subcontinent.
• Features:
  • It is a small ant with a total length of less than 2 mm.
  • Its body is predominantly metallic blue, except for the antennae, mandibles, and legs.
  • The head is subtriangular with large eyes and has a triangular mouthpart (mandible) featuring five teeth.
  • This species has a distinct metallic blue colour that is different from any other species in its genus. 

Q1: What is antennae?

Antennae (singular antenna) are paired sensory organs on the heads of insects. Antennae are sensitive to touch, smell and, in some species, sound. Antennae are made up of several segments and different groups of insects have different forms of antennae.

Source: Researchers Discover New Blue Ant While On Expedition To Arunachal Pradesh’s Remote Siang Valley