Formica globiventris

Introduction

Formica globiventris is an extinct species of ant from the Miocene epoch, originally described by Oswald Heer in 1849 from fossil specimens found in Switzerland (Oeningen) and Croatia (Radoboj). This is a fossil ant species approximately 15-20 million years old, known only from preserved specimens in sedimentary rock. Only the queen caste has been documented in the fossil record. The original description notes an elongated head dilated at the base, a short thorax, and a notably globular (rounded) abdomen, which gives the species its name 'globiventris' (Latin for 'round belly').