Eocenomyrma gen. nov. of extinct ants of the family Formicidae, subfamily Myrmicinae, is described from the late Eocene European amber (ca. 40 Ma), based on six specimens from six pieces of amber; three of them contain E. rugosostriata (Baltic and Saxonian Ambers); the remainder contain three new species: E. orthospina (Baltic Amber), E. electrina (Scandinavian Amber), and E. elegantula (Baltic Amber). Eocenomyrma resembles two extant genera: Myrmica and Temnothorax (both of which also occur in late Eocene European amber), but differs from them by the following apomorphies: clypeus short and broad, with two lateral longitudinal carinae and distinctly marked anterolateral corners, its median portion faintly concave transversally, anterior margin broad and shallowly concave medially, with pairs of long setae situated on the anterolateral clypeal corners, and central part of the anterior clypeal margin without setae; middle and hind tibiae lacking the spurs. Palp formula in Eocenomyrma is 4, 3 versus 6, 4 in Myrmica. We include Eocenomyrma in the tribe Formicoxenini. Nothomyrmica rugosostriata is transferred to Eocenomyrma, and the neotype of the latter species is designated; Nothomyrmica petiolata is transferred to the genus Temnothorax. A key for the identification of all known Eocenomyrma species is compiled.

Key words: Formicidae, Myrmicinae, Eocenomyrma, Baltic Amber, Saxonian Amber, Danish Amber, Eocene.

Gennady Dlussky dlusskye@mail.ru, Moscow State University, Vorobevy gory, 119899, Moscow, Russia;Alexander Radchenko rad@public.icyb.kiev.ua, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Wilcza 64, PL-00-679 Warsaw, Poland.