Dolichoderus zherichini

Introduction

Dolichoderus zherichini is an extinct ant species known only from fossil specimens preserved in Late Eocene amber deposits. Originally described in 2002 from Rovno amber in Ukraine, workers measured approximately 3.5mm in body length . The species exhibits distinctive morphological features including a petiole with a short anterior cylindrical part and rounded apex, plus a propodeum with a flat dorsal surface and deeply concave posterior region . Fossil specimens have also been identified in Gulf of Gdańsk, Bitterfeld, and Jutland ambers, indicating this species was widespread across Central and Eastern Europe during the Eocene period . As an extinct species, no living specimens exist and it cannot be kept in captivity.