Proceratium google

Taxobox
name = "Proceratium google"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Hymenoptera
subordo = Apocrita
familia = Formicidae
subfamilia = Proceratiinae
genus = "Proceratium"
species = "P. google"
binomial = "Proceratium google"
binomial_authority = Fisher, 2005

"Proceratium google", also known as the Google ant, was discovered in Madagascar by Dr. Brian L. Fisher, Associate Curator of Entomology at the California Academy of Sciences. Fisher named the ant after the search engine Google, as a tribute to the usefulness of Google Earth in his research. The ant has an oddly shaped abdomen, adapted for hunting its exclusive meal of spider eggs.

Dr. Fisher is also the executive director of the Madagascar Biodiversity Center, a project of the Bibikely Biodiversity Institute, which focuses on the systematics and preservation of species endemic to Madagascar.

References

*Antweb (2005). [http://www.antweb.org/description.do?rank=species&genus=proceratium&name=google&project= Species: Proceratium google] . Retrieved September 30, 2005.
*California Academy of Sciences (2005). [http://www.calacademy.org/geninfo/newsroom/releases/2005/Fisher%20Google.html ACADEMY SCIENTIST MAPS WORLD'S ANTS WITH GOOGLE EARTH] . Retrieved September 30, 2005.
*Official Google Blog; Brian L. Fisher (2005). [http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2005/09/ants-unearthed-with-google-earth.html Ants unearthed with Google Earth] . Retrieved September 30, 2005.

External links

* [http://www.antweb.org/bigPicture.jsp?code=CASENT0100367&name=Proceratium%20google&picture=/images/casent0100367/casent0100367_p_1_high.jpgLarge photo of the ant]