The first fossil record of Polyrhachis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) from the Upper Miocene of Crete (Greece)

Polyrhachis annosus n. sp., based on part and counterpart of a unique ant worker specimen from Late Miocene deposits of the island of Crete (Greece), is figured and described here. Features of P. annosus unique for the large recent genus Polyrhachis include a large first gastral segment, a scapus attached at some distance from the clypeus, and an alitrunk (mesosoma) and petiole each with a pair of teeth or spines. The new taxon represents the first occurrence of the genus in the fossil record. The origin and rise of one of the world’s largest and most distinct ant genera are still a puzzle, and closely related genera are quite diverse in Tertiary amber deposits. Interestingly, the abundance of Polyrhachis in Indonesian copal confirms the statement that their absence in Baltic amber is not casual.