THE OLDEST ANTS ARE CRETACEOUS, NOT EOCENE: REPLY

Our study of the Hat Creek amber (Poinar et al. 1999) was undertaken to determine the range of the biota in the resin, to identify the plant that produced the resin, and to assess the future implications of these significant deposits. The study was in no way "compromised” by providing an alternative interpretation of the systematic position of the genus Sphecomyrma Wilson and Brow

Ant castes from intercastes: much ado about nothing

A recent hypothesis on the origin of ant soldiers by Molet et al. (2012) is shown to be misleading since it is based on unfair, incomplete literature information and to be unscientific since it is not falsifiabl

Invasion and extinction in the West Indian ant fauna revised: the example of Pheidole (Amber Collection Stuttgart: Hymenoptera, Formicidae. 8: Myrmicinae, partim)

Volume: 222Start Page: 1End Page: 2

The Fossil Members of the Ant Tribe Leptomyrmecini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Volume: 94Start Page: 1End Page:

Two new species of Leptothorax 'Nesomyrmex' fossils in Dominican amber (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Zwei neue fossile Arten neotropischer Leptothorax 'Nesomyrmex' werden anhand dominikanischer Bernsteinfunde (wahrscheinlich Miozän) beschrieben. L. caritatis, wird anhand zweier Exemplare beschrieben. L. caritatis steht der rezenten L. wilda Smith verwandtschaftlich nahe, welche aus Brownsville, Texas und aus Orchideenimporten unbestimmter mexikanischer Herkunft in die USA bekannt ist. L. dominicanus, wird anhand eines Exemplares einer Arbeiterin beschrieben. Sie steht der rezenten L. echinatinodis Forel aus Zentral- und Südamerika nahe. Bemerkenswert ist die Tatsache, dass beiden fossilen Arten das plesiomorphe, leptothoracine (und formicide) Merkmal von 12-gliedrigen Antennen aufweisen. In diesem Merkmal unterscheiden sie sich von ihren nächsten rezenten Verwandten, welche 11-gliedrige Antennen besitzen.Nomenklatorische Handlungencaritatis Andrade et al., 1999 (Leptothorax), spec. n.dominicanus Andrade et al., 1999 (Leptothoraxs), spec. n.Two new fossil species of Neotropical Leptothorax 'Nesomyrmex' are described from Dominican amber (probably Miocene). Leptothorax caritatis, is described based on two workers from two samples. L. caritatis is close to the recent L. wilda Smith known from Brownsville, Texas, and from orchids of unknown Mexican provenance imported in the USA. A second Dominican amber species, L. dominicanus, is described based on a single worker specimen and is close to the recent L. echinatinodis Forel from Central and South America. It is noteworthy that both fossils exhibit the plesiomorphic leptothoracine (and formicid) condition of 12-jointed antennae, a trait distinguishing them from their closest recent relatives, which have 11-jointed antennae. Nomenclatural Actscaritatis Andrade et al., 1999 (Leptothorax), spec. n.dominicanus Andrade et al., 1999 (Leptothoraxs), spec. n