The Ants of Kenya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)—Faunal Overview, First Species Checklist, Bibliography, Accounts for All Genera, and Discussion on Taxonomy and Zoogeography

This study represents the first comprehensive treatment of Kenyan myrmecofauna, which includes a faunal overview, the first species checklist for Kenya, a bibliography, illustrated accounts for all genera, and discussions on taxonomy and biogeography. The checklist is based on material collected from several important sampling localities and literature records. The main localities include Kakamega Forest, a tropical rainforest in Western Kenya, Mpala Research Centre, a savannah region in Laikipia, Central Kenya, and Arabuko Sokoke Forest, a coastal tropical dry forest. Currently, the country is known to hold 596 species and 63 genera from 12 subfamilies. The most diverse subfamilies are Myrmicinae (311 species, 26 genera), Formicinae (107 species, 12 genera), and Ponerinae (75 species, 10 genera). Additional collections from further localities will likely increase these counts and probably reach more than 650 species. Based on the examined material, the Kenyan ant fauna consists of distinct regional elements with different Zoogeographic affinities and minimal overlap.