Dolichoderus polessus

Introduction

Dolichoderus polessus is an extinct ant species from the Late Eocene epoch, approximately 33-38 million years ago. Workers measured about 3mm in total body length and belonged to the subfamily Dolichoderinae. This species has been found preserved in ancient amber deposits, specifically Rovno amber from Ukraine and Baltic amber, making it one of the more widely distributed ant species in the Eocene fossil record . The fossil specimens show a distinctive sculpture pattern of small isolated pits covering most of the head, pronotum, and dorsal propodeum surface . It was a dominant or sub-dominant species in the Priabonian amber ecosystems, representing about 2.5% of ant specimens found in some deposits .