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The first representative of the trap-jaw ant genus Anochetus Mayr, 1861 in Neogene amber from Sumatra (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Valerie NGÔ-MULLER, Romain GARROUSTE, Thomas SCHUBNEL, Jean-Marc POUILLON, Vigo CHRISTOPHERSEN, Arne CHRISTOPHERSEN & André NEL

en Comptes Rendus Palevol 20 (2) - Pages 21-27

Published on 18 January 2021

The ponerine ant Anochetus miosumatrensis Ngô-Muller, Garrouste & Nel, n. sp. is described from a fossil alate female preserved in amber of Sumatra which is reputedly of Miocene age. On the basis of the general morphology, the fossil could be attributed to the extant Sumatran species group risii Brown, 1978. By comparing with the living environment of the extant species, this ant probably lived in a warm humid forest where it was trapped in dipterocarpacean resin during nuptial flight. Until now, the known Cenozoic distribution of the genus Anochetus was restricted to the Neotropical region. Thus A. miosumatrensis Ngô-Muller, Garrouste & Nel, n. sp. brings the first record of the genus from Indomalaya biogeographic region.


Keywords:

Insecta, Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae, new species, Sumatran amber

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