Iridomyrmex obscurans

†Iridomyrmex obscurans Temporal range: Late Eocene K Pa Eo Ol Mi Pl ↓ Florissant, Colorado, United States
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Tribe:	Leptomyrmecini
Genus:	Iridomyrmex
Species:	†I. obscurans
Binomial name
†Iridomyrmex obscurans Carpenter, 1930

When describing this species Carpenter (1930) commented that it “is one of the most obscure of the Florissant ants, since nothing but the more general features are known”. Unfortunately little has changed over the past 90 years and this species remains essentially unknown. While there is little rigorous data to suggest it belongs in Iridomyrmex, placement in another genus would be just as tenuous and therefore Heterick and Shattuck (2011) retained it in Iridomyrmex as incertae sedis.

Distribution

This taxon was described from the Florissant, Colorado, United States (Late Eocene).

Nomenclature

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

• †obscurans. †Iridomyrmex obscurans Carpenter, 1930: 51 (q.) U.S.A. (Oligocene). Provisionally retained in Iridomyrmex: Shattuck, 1992a: 16. Unidentifiable taxon, incertae sedis in Iridomyrmex: Heterick & Shattuck, 2011: 168.

References

• Carpenter, F. M. 1930. The fossil ants of North America. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 70: 1-66. (page 51, queen described)
• Shattuck, S. O. 1992a. Review of the dolichoderine ant genus Iridomyrmex Mayr with descriptions of three new genera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Aust. Entomol. Soc. 31: 13-18 (page 16, Provisionally retained in Iridomyrmex)