A preliminary checklist of the ant genera of Pulau Ubin, Singapore, from rapid opportunistic sampling (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

A preliminary checklist is provided for the ant genera of Pulau Ubin, the second largest offshore island of Singapore. Thirty-five genera representing seven subfamilies were collected on the island using rapid opportunistic hand sampling. This unexpected diversity on an island may reflect the high ant diversity in the tropics in general. The samples comprised both tramp and native species associated with the island’s habitat matrix of urban vegetation and secondary forest. Four native ant genera (Buniapone, Liomyrmex, Myopopone, and Proceratium) rarely collected on Singapore Island and with scarce collections globally were found on Pulau Ubin. This indicates that secondary forests on offshore islands can support rare ant fauna.