Preview: SCHLICK-STEINER, B.C., Steiner, F.M. & SCHÖDL, S. 2003: Ameisen (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). 1. Fassung 2002. Eine Rote Liste der in Niederösterreich gefährdeten Arten. – Amt der NÖ Landesregierung / Abt. Naturschutz, St. Pölten, 75 pp. Prof. Dr. Daniel Cherix, Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne; Museum of Zoology, Palais de Rumine, CH-1014 Lausanne, Switzerland. E-mail: daniel.cherix@serac.vd.ch Today, the most useful instrument through which one can evaluate the degree of threat to animal and plant species is the Red List. The purpose of these lists is to provide nature protection agencies with information essential to achieving their goal of biodiversity protection. However, to assemble reliable and relevant data – even if this information has a short lifespan (Red Lists should be regularly updated) – two basic but main conditions should be met: accurate knowledge of the taxonomy of the group involved and an extended database of the distribution and…