Gesomyrmex curiosus, Dlussky, Gennady M., Wappler, Torsten & Wedmann, Sonja, 2009

Dlussky, Gennady M., Wappler, Torsten & Wedmann, Sonja, 2009, Fossil ants of the genus Gesomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Eocene of Europe and remarks on the evolution of arboreal ant communities, Zootaxa 2031, pp. 1-20 : 12-13

Gesomyrmex curiosus sp. nov.

( Fig. 4 C and Fig. 6 H)

Derivation of the name. Curiosus is Latin for funny. Holotype. SMF MeI 11953 (head of Ƥ).

Type locality and horizon. Grube Messel, Hesse, Germany. Messel formation, middle Eocene, ca. 47 Ma ( Mertz & Renne 2005).

Description. Gyne. Head subtrapezoid, broader in the front than in the back, with gradually rounded posterior margin, without posterolateral corners. Anterior clypeal margin weakly projected, forms a small rounded lobe. Eyes comparatively small: head 4.4 times longer than maximum eye diameter. Frontal carinae short, divergent, reach the anterior margin of eye. Scape does not reach posterior margin of eye; head 3.5 times longer than scape. Mandible triangular, with 5 massive blunt teeth. Most part of the head brownish yellow, anterior part of head and spot near ocelli more dark, mandibles dark brown.

Measurements (in mm). Holotype MeI 11953: HL 2.3, HW 1.6, SL 0.65, ED 0.52.

Comments. Only the head of the unique holotype specimen is well preserved. However it is very different from all fossil and living species.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Gesomyrmex species from Messel. (A) G. p u l c h e r sp. nov., gyne, holotype MeI 10999. (B) G. breviceps sp. nov., gyne, holotype MeI 2305. (C) G. curiosus sp. nov., head of gyne, holotype MeI 11953. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Photographs of different casts and species of Gesomyrmex. (A) Gesomyrmex hoernesi Mayr – minor worker GMUG. BST. 0 4207. (B) Gesomyrmex hoernesi Mayr – worker PMHU. 13 / 221. (C) Gesomyrmex hoernesi Mayr – male MKC. F- 010. (D) Gesomyrmex hoernesi Mayr – major worker SIZK. K- 419. (E) Gesomyrmex hoernesi Mayr – gyne PMHU. 7 / 229. (F) G. b re v ic e ps sp. nov., gyne, holotype MeI 2305. (G) G. pulcher sp. nov., gyne, holotype MeI 10999. (H) G. curiosus sp. nov., head of gyne, holotype MeI 11953. (I) G. germanicus sp. nov., gyne, holotype PE- 1997 / 29. (J) G. flavescens sp. n., gyne, holotype PE- 2000 / 14. Scale bars = 1 mm.