Formica obvoluta

Introduction

Formica obvoluta is an extinct ant species known only from fossil imprints found in Miocene-era deposits in Radoboj, Croatia. The species was originally described by Oswald Heer in 1849 based on poorly preserved fossil specimens. The known specimens measure approximately 4 lines (about 9mm) in total length, with a small head, oval thorax, and oblong-oval abdomen . Due to the limited and poorly preserved nature of the fossil material, researchers have noted that the species cannot be reliably placed in any known Formica group and may represent a different genus entirely . This is a true fossil species that existed during the Miocene epoch and has no living descendants.