Cephalotes obscurus

Cephalotes obscurus is an extinct species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants.[1][2] The species was probably native to Hispaniola, however, lack of more evidence makes this uncertain.[3] Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gave them their gliding abilities.[4]

Cephalotes obscurus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Genus: Cephalotes
Species:
C. obscurus
Binomial name
Cephalotes obscurus
(Vierbergen & Scheven 1995)

The species was first given a description and a classification in 1995 by German entomologists Gijsbertus Vierbergen and Joachim Scheven.[5] It was discovered fosillized in amber on the island of Hispaniola in the Dominican Republic.[6]

Discovery

This species, probably native to Hispaniola as well as the Lesser Antilles, although lack of sufficient evidence makes this uncertain. It was discovered fossilized in Dominican amber, extracted in the Dominican Republic and is dated between the Burdigalian and Langhian ages of the Miocene, which means between 20.44 and 13,82 million years ago.[7]

References
  1. Latreille, P.A. (1802). Histoire naturelle, generale et particuliere des crustaces et des insectes. Vol. 3. F. Dufart, Paris. 467 pp. PDF
  2. Yanoviak, S. P.; Munk, Y.; Dudley, R. (2011). "Evolution and Ecology of Directed Aerial Descent in Arboreal Ants". Integrative and Comparative Biology. 51 (6): 944–956. doi:10.1093/icb/icr006. PMID 21562023.
  3. De Andrade, Maria; Urbani, Cesare. Diversity and adaptation in the ant genus Cephalotes, past and present (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Basel. p. 526. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  4. De Andrade, Maria; Urbani, Cesare (1999). Diversity and adaptation in the ant genus Cephalotes, past and present (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Stuttgarter Beitraege zur Naturkunde Serie B (Geologie und Palaeontologie). pp. 545-546. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  5. Gijsbertus, Vierbergen; Joachim, Scheven (1995). Nine new species and a new genus of Dominican amber ants of the tribe (Cephalotini Hymenoptera: Formicidae) (PDF). Creation Research Society Quarterly. pp. 158–170. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  6. de Andrade, Maria; Urbani, Cesare. Diversity and adaptation in the ant genus Cephalotes, past and present (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Basel. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  7. "Cephalotes obscurus Vierbergen and Scheven 1995 (ant)". Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
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