Gesomyrmex Mayr, 1868

Dlussky, G. M., Rasnitsyn, A. P. & Perfilieva, K. S., 2015, The Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Bol’shaya Svetlovodnaya (Late Eocene of Sikhote-Alin, Russian Far East), Caucasian Entomological Bulletin 11 (1), pp. 131-152 : 137-138

Genus Gesomyrmex Mayr, 1868

Type species Gesomyrmex hoernesi Mayr, 1868 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis (for fossil imprints). Gyne. Antennae geniculate, 10-segmented, with very short scape. Clypeus extends back between antennal sockets. Antennal insertions widely separated, situated close to the posterior clypeal margin. Frontal lobes close to antennal insertions. Mandibles massive, triangular, with 4–10 teeth. Palp formula 6, 4. Posterolateral corners of the head and propodeum without spines. Petiole with thick scale. Fore wings with closed cells 1+2r, 3r and mcu. Veins RS and M after 2r-rs usually partly united and form short section RS+M. Posterior margin of cell 3r (formed by RS) convex or S-formed.

Species included. Six extant species are known which are distributed in the Oriental tropics [ Mayr, 1868]. Six fossil species are known: Gesomyrmex hoernesi Mayr, 1868 (Baltic amber, Late Eocene), G.germanicus Dlussky, Wappler et Wedmann, 2009 , G. flavescens Dlussky, Wappler et Wedmann, 2009 (Eckfeld, Germany, Middle Eocene), G. pulcher Dlussky, Wappler et Wedmann, 2009 , G. breviceps Dlussky, Wappler et Wedmann, 2009 , G. curiosus Dlussky, Wappler et Wedmann, 2009 (Grube Messel, Germany, Middle Eocene) [ Mayr, 1868; Dlussky et al., 2009]. Gesomyrmex expectans Théobald, 1937 (Kleinkembs, France, Oligocene) and G. miegi Théobald, 1937 (Haut-Rhin, France, Oligocene) excluded from Gesomyrmex [ Dlussky et al., 2009]. Three new species are described below.

Notes. Living species of Gesomyrmex are arboreal ants constructing nests in tree twigs [ Wheeler, 1930; Cole, 1949].