page_title: Emplastus
section_title: E. britannicus
hierarchical_section_title: Emplastus / Description / E. britannicus
caption_attribution_description: English: View of an Emplastus britannicus specimen. Natural History Museum, London specimen BMNHP24367
context_page_description: Emplastus is an extinct morphogenus of ants in the subfamily Dolichoderinae, known from fossils found in Asia and Europe. The genus contains twelve species described from sites in England, Eastern Europe and Far Eastern Russia.
context_section_description: Females of E. britannicus range between 6–8.5 mm (0.24–0.33 in) with a forewing length between 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in).  The head is broader than it is long, giving a rectangular outline, and like E. antiquus of Radoboj it has a convex curve to the rear head margin.  While Emery in his description asserted the mandibles to have a smooth margin, further specimens have shown that the robust mandibles have several blunt teeth on the chewing margin.  The legs are usually short and thick.  The petiole flared in width being up to three times as wide across as it is from front to back.  The gaster is typically oval in outline.  Males are smaller, at only approximately 6 mm (0.24 in) in length for the few described specimens.  They have a small head, with similar mandibles to the females, and likewise similar short antenna scapes.  Unlike the females, the legs of the males are long and fairly thin.
  The species names britannicus and ovigerus were not given etymologies by Cockerell, while the name emeryi was coined by Donisthorpe as a patronym honoring the Italian entomologist Carlo Emery, who gave input Donisthorpe on the Isle of Wight fossils, and for his work on Sicilian amber ants.  Overall individuals of E. britannicus are the most numerous ant fossils in the Bembridge Marls.
caption: E. britannicus
   ("E. emeryi" holotype)
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