A new genus of hell ants from the Cretaceous (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Haidomyrmecini) with a novel head structure

被引：34
作者：
Barden, Phillip [1 ,2 ]
Herhold, Hollister W. [2 ]
Grimaldi, David A. [2 ]
机构：
[1] New Jersey Inst Technol, Dept Biol Sci, Cent King Bldg, Newark, NJ 07102 USA
[2] Amer Museum Nat Hist, Dept Invertebrate Zool, New York, NY 10024 USA
来源：
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY | 2017年 / 42卷 / 04期
基金：
美国国家科学基金会;
关键词：
MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES; AMBER HYMENOPTERA; FOSSIL ANTS; MORPHOLOGY; MANDIBLES; LINEAGE;
D O I：
10.1111/syen.12253
中图分类号：
Q [生物科学];
学科分类号：
07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;
摘要：
An unusual Cretaceous trap jaw ant is described from Burmese amber dated to the Late Cretaceous. Linguamyrmex vladi gen.n.sp.n. is distinguished by an unusual suite of morphological characters indicating specialized predatory behaviour and an adaptive strategy no longer found among modern ant lineages. The clypeus, highly modified as in other closely related haidomyrmecine hell ants, is equipped with a paddle-like projection similar to Ceratomyrmex. X-ray imaging reveals that this clypeal paddle is reinforced, most probably with sequestered metals. Presumably this fortified clypeal structure was utilized in tandem with scythe-like mandibles to pin and potentially puncture soft-bodied prey. This unique taxon, which stresses the diversity of stem-group ants, is discussed in the context of modern and other Cretaceous trap jaw ant species.
引用
收藏
页码：837 / 846
页数：10
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