Oecophylla obesa

Introduction

Oecophylla obesa is an extinct species of weaver ant known only from fossil specimens preserved in Miocene-era deposits from Radoboj, Croatia . This species lived approximately 15–20 million years ago during the Miocene epoch, when the region had a much warmer, tropical-like climate . The fossils show queens measured 15–18 mm in body length, making them substantially larger than many modern ants . The genus Oecophylla is famous for its living members, particularly Oecophylla smaragdina (the green weaver ant), which constructs elaborate nests by weaving leaves together with silk produced by their larvae. However, Oecophylla obesa specifically is only known from fossil impressions in sedimentary rock and cannot be kept as a pet.