Emplastus britannicus

Introduction

Emplastus britannicus is an extinct ant species from the Late Eocene epoch, known only from fossil specimens found in the Insect Limestone of the Isle of Wight, England . This species belongs to the subfamily Dolichoderinae and was originally described as Dolichoderus britannicus before being reclassified to Emplastus in 2014 . Queens measured 6-8.5 mm in body length ; males are known but workers have not been confirmed in the fossil record. The fossils show typical dolichoderine features: a thick petiolar scale, oval gaster, and wing venation patterns similar to modern members of the subfamily . The species was first described by T.D.A. Cockerell in 1915 and was initially thought to be from the Oligocene , but later research dates it to the Late Eocene . Because Emplastus britannicus has been extinct for about 34 million years, no living colonies exist, and it cannot be kept in captivity.