''Eldermyrmex'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of ant in the Formicidae subfamily

Dolichoderinae Dolichoderinae is a subfamily of ants, which includes species such as the Argentine ant (''Linepithema humile''), the erratic ant, the odorous house ant, and the cone ant. The subfamily presents a great diversity of species throughout the world ...

. The genus contains a single described species ''Eldermyrmex oblongiceps''. ''Eldermyrmex'' is known to be from the

Baltic Amber The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than 1 ...

Classification

William Morton Wheeler William Morton Wheeler (March 19, 1865 – April 19, 1937) was an American entomologist, myrmecologist and Harvard professor. Biography Early life and education William Morton Wheeler was born on March 19, 1865, to parents Julius Morton Wheeler ...

first made mention of the fossil he described in 1915, but he did not establish the genus ''Eldermyrmex'', as he commented that the ant did not have the appearance of a typical member of genus ''

Iridomyrmex ''Iridomyrmex'' is a genus of ants called rainbow ants (referring to their blue-green iridescent sheen) first described by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr in 1862. He placed the genus in the subfamily Dolichoderinae of the family Formicida ...

'', so he did not know where to assign the newly found ant. Because of its appearance, it was obvious the ant did not belong to the ''Iridomyrmex'', and so it was transferred to a new genus in 2011.

References

† Monotypic fossil ant genera Fossil taxa described in 1915 Fossil taxa described in 2011 Prehistoric insects of Europe {{Dolichoderinae-stub