New Ant Species Discovered: 33 Ant Species Found In Central America And The Caribbean, And They Are The ‘Stuff Of Nightmares’

33 new ant species have been discovered in Central America and the Caribbean, and they are far from cute and cuddly.

The ants, which have been described as "the stuff of nightmares," were discovered by a team including Jack Longino, an entomologist at the University of Utah. According to the Christian Science Monitor, the nearly-blind ants live in leaf litter and rotten logs in rainforests. They are all less than 2 millimeters in length, according to the research.

"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.

Longino just published two papers describing the 33 new species of ants, bringing his personal "new species" total to 131, NPR reports.

The entomologist vividly described the ants. When viewed under a microscope, "their faces are broad shields, the eyes reduced to tiny points at the edges and the fierce jaws bristling with sharp teeth. They look a little like the monster in 'Alien,'" Longino said.

"They're horrifying to look at up close," he added. "That's sort of what makes them fun."

Scientists named about one-third of the ants after Mayan deities, NPR reports.

One of the new species, Eurhopalothrix zipacna, is named for a violent, crocodile-like Mayan demon, found in Guatemala and Honduras. Another has been named Eurhopalothrix xibalba, or "place of fear," refers to the Mayan underworld. This ant is found from Honduras to Costa Rica, according to The Christian Science Monitor.

Scientists have so far recorded about 15,000 species of ants worldwide, according to the University of Utah statement. But there may be as many as 100,000 in total, Longino said in the statement.