Habitat loss is a leading cause of extinctions, which may occur even before species are recorded or formally described. On the other hand, limitations in species distribution data and sampling biases can hamper inferences about patterns of species richness that form the basis of conservation strategies. Insects, despite their crucial roles in terrestrial ecosystems, are still largely neglected when dealing with biological inventories. Among insects, ants are of unique importance because of their species richness, widespread distribution, and due to their key ecosystem functions such as seed dispersal, soil nutrient cycling, predation, and biological control. In this study, we prioritize different Brazilian biomes and ecoregions for new ant surveys based on information on the distribution of occurrence records and two estimates of habitat loss for the period between 2000 and 2016. We compiled nearly 8000 ant occurrence records, including a total of 1170 species. The Caatinga was the biome showing the greatest urgency for new inventories, whereas the Atlantic Forest had the lowest urgency. However, there were considerable differences of priority between ecoregions belonging to each biome, thus underscoring the need to pay special attention to these geographical units and their characteristic associated with ant species. The prioritization of poorly studied sites with an imminent risk of habitat loss can be a valuable starting point for filling knowledge gaps and can help in formulating new strategies of conservation. The dataset provided here may also be useful in studies on the distribution of ant diversity in Brazil.

中文翻译：

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如何优先考虑新蚂蚁调查的区域？整合物种发生记录和栖息地丧失的历史数据

栖息地丧失是灭绝的主要原因，甚至在物种被记录或正式描述之前就可能发生。另一方面，物种分布数据的局限性和抽样偏差会妨碍对构成保护策略基础的物种丰富度模式的推断。昆虫尽管在陆地生态系统中发挥着重要作用，但在处理生物清单时仍然在很大程度上被忽视。在昆虫中，蚂蚁具有独特的重要性，因为它们的物种丰富、分布广泛，以及它们的关键生态系统功能，如种子传播、土壤养分循环、捕食和生物控制。在这项研究中，我们根据 2000 年至 2016 年期间的发生记录分布信息和栖息地丧失的两次估计，为新的蚂蚁调查优先考虑不同的巴西生物群落和生态区。我们编制了近 8000 条蚂蚁发生记录，包括总共 1170 个物种。卡廷加是显示新库存最紧迫的生物群落，而大西洋森林的紧迫性最低。然而，属于每个生物群落的生态区之间的优先级差异很大，因此强调需要特别注意这些地理单位及其与蚂蚁物种相关的特征。优先考虑具有迫在眉睫的栖息地丧失风险的研究不足的地点，可以成为填补知识空白的宝贵起点，并有助于制定新的保护战略。