Syringogaster is a genus of small (4 to 6mm) ant-like

Ant mimicry

Ant mimicry is mimicry of ants by other organisms. Ants are abundant all over the world, and insect predators that rely on vision to identify their prey such as birds and wasps normally avoid them, either because they are unpalatable, or aggressive. Thus some other arthropods mimic ants to escape...

 flies

Fly

True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...

 with a petiolate

Petiole (insect)

In entomology, the term petiole is most commonly used to refer to the constricted first metasomal segment of members of the Hymenopteran suborder Apocrita; it may be used to refer to other insects with similar body shapes, where the metasomal base is constricted...

 abdomen

Abdomen

In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...

, a long prothorax

Prothorax

The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites are the pronotum , the prosternum , and the propleuron on each side. The prothorax never bears wings in extant insects, though some fossil groups possessed...

, a swollen and spiny hind femur

Femur

The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...

, and reduced head size and large eyes. There are 20 living species in a single genus Syringogaster, There are 2 species know from Miocene

Miocene

The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...

 amber

Amber

Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...

 from the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

. It is the only genus in the family Syringogastridae.

Distribution

The genus Syringogaster are found in tropical areas of the Neotropical region, with exception of the Antilles

Antilles

The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...

, Syringogastridae inhabit tropical forests.

Species

• S. amazonensis Prado, 1969
• S. apiculata Marshall & Buck, 2009
• S. atricalyx Marshall & Buck, 2009
• S. brachypecta Marshall & Buck, 2009
• S. brunnea Cresson, 1912:
• S. brunneina Marshall & Buck, 2009
• S. carioca Prado, 1969
• S. craigi Grimaldi, 2009 (Fossil species)
• S. cressoni Prado, 1969
• S. dactylopleura Marshall & Buck, 2009
• S. figurata Marshall & Buck, 2009
• S. lanei Prado, 1969
• S. lopesi Prado, 1969
• S. miocenecus Grimaldi, 2009 (Fossil species)
• S. nigrithorax Marshall & Buck, 2009
• S. palenque Marshall & Buck, 2009
• S. papaveroi Prado, 1969
• S. plesioterga Marshall & Buck, 2009
• S. rufa Cresson, 1912
• S. sharkeyi Marshall & Buck, 2009
• S. subnearctica Feijen,1989
• S. tenuipes Marshall & Buck, 2009