Stigmomyrmex venustus

Radchenko and Dlussky (2017) - Described from a single worker from the collection of Königsberg Museum (collection of Dr. Menge, Baltic amber). In his monograph, Wheeler (1915) reported three additional workers to Mayr’s holotype in the same Museum and he made some additional notes to Mayr’s original description and provided an excellent figure. The holotype specimen of S. venustus as well as three workers investigated by Wheeler seems to be lost (A. Gehler, personal communication, 2017). We found three workers from the Bitterfeld and Baltic ambers that fit well to the description of S. venustus: No. 27.176 (GZG.BST), and No. 218 and 245 (collection of Gröhn). However, none are in a good condition and many important diagnostic features are obscured, therefore we avoid designating one as the neotype of this species in the hope that better examples might be found.

Identification
Radchenko and Dlussky (2017) - Apart from the generic characters, S. venustus is typified by the quite peculiar foveolate sculpture on its head, mesosoma and waist, with no trace of rugulosity and by the absence of standing hairs on the legs.

Distribution
This taxon was described from Baltic Amber (Eocene).

Nomenclature

 * † venustus. †Stigmomyrmex venustus Mayr, 1868c: 97, pl. 5, figs. 99, 100 (w.) BALTIC AMBER (Eocene).