Messor draxil

Introduction

Messor draxil is an extinct species of harvester ant known only from fossil compression specimens found in the Florissant Fossil Beds of Colorado, USA, dating to the Eocene period approximately 34 million years ago . The species was originally described in 1930 by Carpenter as Messor sculpturatus, but this name was already in use for a different species described in 1916,creating a junior secondary homonym that required replacement . The name 'draxil' is an arbitrary combination of letters treated as a noun in apposition, assigned in 2025 by Brian L. Fisher as a replacement name . As a fossil species, no living specimens exist, and it cannot be kept in captivity. This species represents an ancient member of the harvester ant genus Messor, which today includes numerous seed-collecting species found across Africa, Europe, and Asia.