Formica luteola

†Formica luteola Temporal range: Bartonian, Middle to Late Eocene K Pa Eo Ol Mi Pl Baltic amber, Baltic Sea region
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Formicini
Genus:	Formica
Species:	†F. luteola
Binomial name
†Formica luteola Presl, 1822

Radchenko et al. (2021) question the placement of this taxon within the genus Formica. They note that the body length of F. luteola is ca. 3.2 mm (too small for Formica), the body is light yellow (“Flavescenti-alba”) and the head is rounded and somewhat cordate (“Caput rotunda-tum, fere cordatum”). These features are not known to be present in either extant or extinct Formica species.

Distribution

This taxon was described from Baltic amber, Baltic Sea region, Europe (Bartonian, Middle to Late Eocene).

Nomenclature

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

• †luteola. †Formica luteola Presl, 1822: 197 (no sex or caste indicated) BALTIC AMBER (Eocene).

References

• Presl, J. S. 1822. Additamenta ad faunam protogaem, sistens descriptiones aliquat animalium in succino inclusorum. Pp. 191-210 in: Presl, J. S., Presl, K. B. Deliciae Pragenses, historiam naturalem spectantes. Tome 1. Pragae: Calve, 244 pp. (page 197, (no sex or caste indicated))
• Radchenko, A.G., Perkovsky, E.E., Vasilenko, D.V. 2021. Formica species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Formicinae) in late Eocene Rovno amber. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 82, 237–251 (doi:10.3897/jhr.82.64599).