A case study to quantify the value of voucher specimens for invertebrate conservation: ant records in Lower Austria

Ant records for Lower Austria date back to 1802. Since then, the number of presently recognized central European ant species has increased from 34 to 165. Taxonomic changes and former misidentifications have unfortunately made published historical data unreliable. Therefore, in preparing for the publication of the Red List of Ants of Lower Austria, all voucher specimens from the available major collections were redetermined at the species level. This amounted to a total of 18500 pre-1980 specimens, and 42000 post-1980 specimens. Currently, there are 111 ant species recorded for Lower Austria (including three introduced species). Twelve of these are published here for the first time for Lower Austria, six for all Austria, and one of these is a so far unknown species, discovered among historic voucher specimens. Voucher specimens provide information on the pre-1980 situation of 108 (=97% of the known) species and 32% of the surface area of Lower Austria.