Eldermyrmex

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Eldermyrmex
Temporal range: Middle to Late Eocene
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dolichoderinae
Tribe: incertae sedis
Genus: Eldermyrmex
Shattuck, 2011
Species:
E. oblongiceps
Binomial name
Eldermyrmex oblongiceps
(Wheeler, W.M., 1915)

Eldermyrmex is an extinct genus of ant in the Formicidae subfamily Dolichoderinae. The genus contains a single described species Eldermyrmex oblongiceps. Eldermyrmex is known to be from the Baltic Amber. [1]

Classification

William Morton Wheeler first made mention of the fossil he described in 1915, but he did not establish the genus Eldermyrmex, as he commented that the ant did not have the appearance of a typical member of genus Iridomyrmex , so he did not know where to assign the newly found ant. [2] Because of its appearance, it was obvious the ant did not belong to the Iridomyrmex, and so it was transferred to a new genus in 2011. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Iridomyrmex</i> Genus of ants

Iridomyrmex is a genus of ants called rainbow ants first described by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr in 1862. He placed the genus in the subfamily Dolichoderinae of the family Formicidae. It has 79 described species and five fossil species. Most of these ants are native to Australia; others are found in Asia and Oceania, and they have been introduced to Brazil, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. Fossil species are known from China, France, and the United States.

<i>Prionomyrmex</i> Extinct genus of ants

Prionomyrmex is an extinct genus of bulldog ants in the subfamily Myrmeciinae of the family Formicidae. It was first described by Gustav Mayr in 1868, after he collected a holotype worker of P. longiceps in Baltic amber. Three species are currently described, characterised by their long mandibles, slender bodies and large size. These ants are known from the Eocene and Late Oligocene, with fossil specimens only found around Europe. It is suggested that these ants preferred to live in jungles, with one species assumed to be an arboreal nesting species. These ants had a powerful stinger that was used to subdue prey. In 2000, it was suggested by Cesare Baroni Urbani that the living species Nothomyrmecia macrops and a species he described both belonged to Prionomyrmex, but this proposal has not been widely accepted by the entomological community. Instead, scientists still classify the two genera distinctive from each other, making Nothomyrmecia a valid genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prionomyrmecini</span> Tribe of ants

Prionomyrmecini is an ant tribe belonging to the subfamily Myrmeciinae established by William Morton Wheeler in 1915. Two members are a part of this tribe, the extant Nothomyrmecia and the extinct Prionomyrmex. The tribe was once considered a subfamily due to the similarities between Nothomyrmecia and Prionomyrmex, but such reclassification was not widely accepted by the scientific community. These ants can be identified by their long slender bodies, powerful stingers and elongated mandibles. Fossil Prionomyrmecini ants were once found throughout Europe, possibly nesting in trees and preferring jungle habitats. Today, Prionomyrmecini is only found in Australia, preferring old-growth mallee woodland surrounded by Eucalyptus trees. Nothomyrmecia workers feed on nectar and arthropods, using their compound eyes for prey and navigational purposes. Owing to their primitive nature, they do not recruit others to food sources or create pheromone trails. Nothomyrmecia colonies are small, consisting of 50 to 100 individuals.

<i>Agroecomyrmex</i> Extinct genus of ants

Agroecomyrmex is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Agroecomyrmecinae, for which it is the type genus. The genus contains a single described species, Agroecomyrmex duisburgi. Agroecomyrmex is known from a group of Middle Eocene fossils which were found in Europe.

<i>Aphaenogaster sommerfeldti</i> Extinct species of ant

Aphaenogaster sommerfeldti is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a group of Middle Eocene fossils found in Europe. A. sommerfeldti is one of three species in the ant genus Aphaenogaster to have been noted from fossils found in Baltic amber by William Morton Wheeler.

<i>Aphaenogaster oligocenica</i> Extinct species of ant

Aphaenogaster oligocenica is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a pair of Middle Eocene fossils found in Europe. A. oligocenica is one of three species in the ant genus Aphaenogaster to have been noted from fossils found in Baltic amber by William Morton Wheeler.

<i>Aphaenogaster mersa</i> Extinct species of ant

Aphaenogaster mersa is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a pair of Middle Eocene fossils found in Europe. A. mersa is one of three species in the ant genus Aphaenogaster to have been noted from fossils found in Baltic amber by William Morton Wheeler.

<i>Asymphylomyrmex</i> Extinct genus of ants

Asymphylomyrmex is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Formicinae. The genus contains a single described species, Asymphylomyrmex balticus and is known from a group of Middle Eocene fossils which were found in Europe.

<i>Yantaromyrmex</i> Genus of ants

Yantaromyrmex is an extinct genus of ants first described in 2013. Members of this genus are in the subfamily Dolichoderinae of the family Formicidae, known from Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene fossils found in Europe. The genus currently contains five described species, Y. constrictus, Y. geinitzi, Y. intermedius, Y. mayrianum and Y. samlandicus. The first specimens were collected in 1868 and studied by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr, who originally placed the fossils in other ant genera until the fossils were reviewed and subsequently placed into their own genus. These ants are small, measuring from 4 to 6 mm in length and can be characterized by their trapezoidal shaped head-capsules and oval compound eyes that are located slightly to the rear of the capsules midpoint, with no known ocelli present.

Iridomyrmex spurcus is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by William Morton Wheeler in 1915, the ant has a large extensive distribution in Australia.

Dolichoderus elegans is an extinct species of Eocene ant in the genus Dolichoderus. Described by William Morton Wheeler in 1915, the fossilised remains of the species were found in the Baltic amber.

<i>Dolichoderus mesosternalis</i> Species of ant

Dolichoderus mesosternalis is an extinct species of Eocene ant in the genus Dolichoderus. Described by William Morton Wheeler in 1915, a fossilised worker of the species was found in the Baltic amber.

Dolichoderus vexillarius is an extinct species of Eocene ant in the genus Dolichoderus. Described by William Morton Wheeler in 1915, a fossilised worker was found and described from the Baltic amber.

Tapinoma krakatauae is a species of ant in the genus Tapinoma. Described by William Morton Wheeler in 1924, the species is endemic to Indonesia.

<i>Paraneuretus</i> Genus of ants

Paraneuretus is an extinct genus of formicid in the ant subfamily Aneuretinae known from fossils found in Asia and Europe. The genus contains three middle to late Eocene age species, Paraneuretus dubovikoffi, Paraneuretus longicornis, and Paraneuretus tornquisti.

<i>Procerapachys</i> Genus of ants

Procerapachys is an extinct genus of ants which existed 37 to 42 million years ago. A member of the subfamily Dorylinae of the family Formicidae, Procerapachys was first described by American entomologist William Morton Wheeler in 1915.

<i>Electromyrmex</i> Genus of ants

Electromyrmex is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Dolichoderinae. The genus contains a single described species, Electromyrmex klebsi and is known from a group of Middle Eocene fossils which were found in Europe.

<i>Pachycondyla succinea</i> Extinct species of ant

Pachycondyla succinea is an extinct species of ant in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae described from fossils found in Europe. P. petrosa is one of three middle Eocene Pachycondyla species found in Baltic amber.

<i>Nylanderia pygmaea</i> Extinct species of ant

Nylanderia pygmaea is an extinct species of formicid in the ant subfamily Formicinae known from fossils found in the Prussian Formation of the Baltic region.

References

  1. Dlussky, G.M. 1997. Genera of ants from Baltic Amber. Paleontological Journal, 31(6), pp. 616–627.
  2. Wheeler, William Morton (1915). The ants of the Baltic amber. Vol. 55. Leipzig und Berlin: Teubner. pp. 1–142. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.14207. OCLC   30805083.
  3. Shattuck, Brian E. Heterick & Steve (2011). Revision of the ant genus Iridomyrmex (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) (PDF). Auckland, N.Z.: Magnolia Press. ISBN   978-1-86977-676-3 . Retrieved 2 January 2015.