A University of Utah entomologist has discovered "the stuff of nightmares." They are 33 new species of ants inhabiting Central America and the Caribbean. Jack Longino shared Thursday the nearly-blind ants that enjoy living in leaves and rotten logs with the world, dubbing them after Mayan deities. Some of the new species have been called things like Eurhopalothrix zipacna and Eurhopalothrix xibalba for demonic Mayan figures.
"The new species were found mostly in small patches of forest that remain in a largely agricultural landscape, highlighting the importance of forest conservation efforts in Central America," Longino said.
The ants play a vital role to the surrounding environments and, like most insects, carry out duties such as pollinating plants and aerating soil, Live Science reported.
The creatures have distinct mandibles, with sharp teeth lining pincher-like mouths, Longino told NPR. He published meticulous descriptions of 14 of the new creepy crawlers Monday in the online science journal Zootaxa. He has yet to publish information on the remainder of his findings, but an entry in the journal detailing the 19 Octostruma genus ants is expected in the near future, Inquisitr reported.
"Their faces are broad shields, the eyes reduced to tiny points at the edges and the fierce jaws bristling with sharp teeth," Longino said of the ants in the Eurhopalothrix genus. "They look a little like the monster in Alien. They're horrifying to look at up close.
The reason these tiny terrors went undiscovered so long was because of their size and their penchant for hiding. The ants, which hide beneath leaves, range from rice-grain size to about one-twentififth of an inch long. With these 33 new discoveries, Longino can add to his impressive list of finds. He has currently discovered 131 different species of ants.
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