Formica obscura

Introduction

Formica obscura is an extinct ant species known only from fossil specimens preserved in Miocene-era deposits from Radoboj, Croatia. This species lived approximately 16-23 million years ago during the Early Miocene period. The known specimens include a holotype consisting of a forewing, gaster, and fragment of mesosoma, with an estimated body length of at least 9.9mm based on proportional calculations from extant Formica species . The queens were black with dark wings, and the abdomen was described as oblong-oval in shape . This species was originally described by Oswald Heer in 1849 and has since been reclassified several times, moving between Formica and Lasius genera before being returned to Formica . Unfortunately, as an extinct species, these ants cannot be kept in captivity.