''Eldermyrmex'' is an extinct

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of ant in the Formicidae subfamily

Dolichoderinae Dolichoderinae is a subfamily of ants, which includes species such as the Argentine ant (''Linepithema humile''), the erratic ant, the odorous house ant, and the cone ant. The subfamily presents a great diversity of species throughout the wor ...

. The genus contains a single described species ''Eldermyrmex oblongiceps''. ''Eldermyrmex'' is known to be from the

Baltic Amber Baltic amber or succinite is amber from the Baltic region, home of its largest known deposits. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that this forested region provided the re ...

Classification

William Morton Wheeler William Morton Wheeler (March 19, 1865 – April 19, 1937) was an American entomologist, myrmecologist and professor at Harvard University. Biography Early life and education William Morton Wheeler was born on March 19, 1865, to parents Juliu ...

first made mention of the fossil he described in 1915, but he did not establish the genus ''Eldermyrmex'', as he commented that the ant did not have the appearance of a typical member of genus '' Iridomyrmex'', so he did not know where to assign the newly found ant. Because of its appearance, it was obvious the ant did not belong to the ''Iridomyrmex'', and so it was transferred to a new genus in 2011.

References

† Monotypic fossil ant genera Fossil taxa described in 1915 Fossil taxa described in 2011 Eocene insects of Europe Baltic amber {{Dolichoderinae-stub