Emplastus haueri

†Emplastus haueri; Temporal range: Burdigalian, Early Miocene K Pa Eo Ol Mi Pl Radoboj, Croatia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Genus:	Emplastus
Species:	†E. haueri
Binomial name
	†Emplastus haueri; (Mayr, 1867)

Another species based on an impression fossil of a queen, the identity of this taxon remains obscure. Dalla Torre (1893) transferred it to Iridomyrmex, a treatment followed by Shattuck (1992a). Mayr’s (1867b) figure of the type queen reveals little detail other than wing venation. While the general pattern is dolichoderine-like it differs from extant species of Iridomyrmex in having the Rs vein join M at 1m-cu, rather than basal to this cross vein, resulting in the cell enclosed by Rs, M and 2rs-m having three sides rather than four. A three-sided cell similar to Mayr’s (1869) figure for this species is present in some Dolichoderus (especially species formerly placed in Hypoclinea), a condition not seen in Iridomyrmex. Because of this Heterick & Shattuck (2011) placed it in Dolichoderus rather than Iridomyrmex. However, Dlussky & Putyatina (2014) disagreed with this treatment and transferred this species to Emplastus.

Identification

Distribution

This taxon was described from Radoboj, Croatia (Burdigalian, Early Miocene).

Castes

Nomenclature

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

†haueri. †Hypoclinea haueri Mayr, 1867b: 60, pl. 1, fig. 11 (q.) YUGOSLAVIA (Miocene).
- Combination in Iridomyrmex: Dalla Torre, 1893: 169.
- Combination in Dolichoderus: Heterick & Shattuck, 2011: 170.
- Combination in †Emplastus: Dlussky & Putyatina, 2014: 243.

Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 169; Handlirsch, 1907: 871; Shattuck, 1994: 106; Bolton, 1995b: 218; Dlussky & Putyatina, 2014: 243.

Description

References