Iridomyrmex obscurans

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Iridomyrmex obscurans
Temporal range: Late Eocene
Florissant, Colorado, United States
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dolichoderinae
Tribe: Leptomyrmecini
Genus: Iridomyrmex
Species: I. obscurans
Binomial name
Iridomyrmex obscurans
Carpenter, 1930

When describing this species Carpenter (1930) commented that it “is one of the most obscure of the Florissant ants, since nothing but the more general features are known”. Unfortunately little has changed over the past 90 years and this species remains essentially unknown. While there is little rigorous data to suggest it belongs in Iridomyrmex, placement in another genus would be just as tenuous and therefore Heterick and Shattuck (2011) retained it in Iridomyrmex as incertae sedis.

Identification

Distribution

This taxon was described from the Florissant, Colorado, United States (Late Eocene).

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • obscurans. †Iridomyrmex obscurans Carpenter, 1930: 51 (q.) U.S.A. (Oligocene). Provisionally retained in Iridomyrmex: Shattuck, 1992a: 16. Unidentifiable taxon, incertae sedis in Iridomyrmex: Heterick & Shattuck, 2011: 168.

Description

References