Protaneuretus mirabilis

†Protaneuretus mirabilis; Temporal range: Bartonian, Middle to Late Eocene K Pa Eo Ol Mi Pl Bitterfeld amber, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Aneuretinae
Genus:	Protaneuretus
Species:	†P. mirabilis
Binomial name
	†Protaneuretus mirabilis; Dubovikoff & Dlussky, 2020

Identification

Dubovikoff et al. (2020) - Distinguished from Protaneuretus succineus by the smaller size (in the latter species, the body length of the workers is from 5.5 to7 mm, whereas in the described species it is ca. 2 mm) and sparse adpressed pubescence (hairs are absent on the limbs, petiole, and abdominal tergites, except from the apex of the first one). The main surface of the propodeum is practically equal to the sloping surface, whereas in the type species it is considerably larger. In Protaneuretus mirabilis, ornamentation in the form of wrinkles is present only on the mesopleura and sides of the propodeum, whereas in the type species, also on the main sur-face of the propodeum. The spines of the propodeum of the type species are sharper and directed upwards.

Distribution

This taxon was described from Bitterfeld amber (Bartonian, Middle to Late Eocene).

Castes

Dubovikoff and Dlussky 2020. Figsures 1–4. Protaneuretus mirabilis holotype GZG.BST.27160, worker: (1, 2) right view; (3, 4) left view. Scale bar 1 mm.

Nomenclature

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

†mirabilis. †Protaneuretus mirabilis Dubovikoff & Dlussky, 2020: 390, plate 8, figs. 1-4 BITTERFELD AMBER (Eocene).

Description

Worker

HL 0.48, HW 0.30,EL 0.12, SL 0.35, VL 0.25, WL 0.58, PEL 0.21,F3 0.35, GL 0.68, TL 2, CI 160, EI 40, SI 64.

The body length is 2 mm. The head is elongated (CI 160) with subparallel sides. The eyes are relatively large, convex; their posterior margin is located on the center of the line, connected to the base of the mandible and the occipital angle. The ocelli are absent. The antennae are 12-seg-mented. The scape is relatively short (SI 64), exceeding the eye upper margin not more than by three times its maximum diameter. The first segment of the antennal flagellum is large, segments 2–8 are prominently transverse (their length is much smaller than their width), the club is 4-segmented. The mandibles are triangular, with punctured ornamentation, no denticles are visible. The palpal formula is 4:3 (poorly visible). The clypeus anterior margin is weakly convex. The head occipital margin is straight. The mesosomeis compact, short, only slightly longer than the head. The mesonotal depression is distinct. The main an sloping surface of the propodeum are of equal length. The propodeum spines are small, in the form of obtuse nodes; their apices are directed backwards. The sides of the mesopleura and propodeum are covered with longitudinal wrinkles. The remaining body is smooth. The petiole is high, with a relatively short cylindrical part. The abdomen is massive, with four visible segments. The sting is retracted within the abdomen, and only its tip is visible. A few adpressed hairs are present on the clypeus, forehead, and vertex, on the top of the mesosome (two pairs of long setae on the pro-mesonotum, and one on the propodeum), and on the top of the first abdominal tergite. The limbs lack hairs.

Type Material

GZG.BST.27160 (Kutscher-collection no. MKK F-160) worker; Bitterfeld (Saxonian)amber, late Eocene. Geowissenschaftliches Zentrum der Universität Göttingen (GZG), Germany.

Etymology

From the Latin mirabilis (amazing, wondrous, remarkable).

References