Lasius anthracinus

Introduction

Lasius anthracinus is an extinct ant species known only from fossil specimens preserved in Miocene-era deposits in Radoboj, Croatia. These fossils date back approximately 16-19 million years ago. The species was originally described in 1867 by Oswald Heer under the name Poneropsis anthracina and was later transferred to the genus Lasius in 2014. Queens measured 5.1-10.0mm in body length, with an average of 8.2mm, making them relatively large for the genus. The head was wider than long, the scape exceeded head length, and wings were typically shorter than the body. This species has no living representatives and cannot be kept in captivity.