ous ▁sh ale , ▁which ▁preserved ▁numerous ▁insect s , ▁fish , ▁birds , ▁re pt iles , ▁and ▁terrest rial ▁m amm als ▁as ▁a ▁notable ▁l ager st ätten . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁is ▁a ▁preserved ▁maar ▁lake ▁which ▁initially ▁formed ▁approximately ▁ 4 7 ▁million ▁years ▁ago ▁as ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁vol can ic ▁explos ions . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁description , ▁the ▁hol ot ype ▁queen ▁and ▁par atype ▁male ▁spec im ens ▁were ▁preserved ▁in ▁the ▁Sen cken berg ▁Research ▁Station ▁Mess el ▁foss il ▁collections . ▁ ▁The ▁foss ils ▁were ▁described ▁by ▁G enn ady ▁D lus sky ▁and ▁Son ja ▁Wed mann ▁in ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁paper ▁on ▁the ▁pon er omorph ▁an ts ▁of ▁Mess el , ▁with ▁both ▁the ▁genus ▁and ▁species ▁named ▁in ▁it . ▁ ▁The ▁genus ▁name ▁is ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁the ▁ant ▁genus ▁Pon era ▁and ▁Mess el ▁after ▁the ▁type ▁local ity . ▁ ▁The ▁specific ▁ep ith et ▁was ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁modern ▁ant ▁genus ▁name ▁Le pt ogen ys , ▁which ▁M . ▁le pt ogen o ides ▁has ▁similar ities ▁to . ▁ ▁M esse le p one ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁five ▁ext inct ▁gener a ▁from ▁three ▁sub famil ies ▁which ▁have ▁species ▁described ▁from ▁Mess el ▁Form ation ▁foss ils ▁by ▁D lus sky ▁and ▁Wed mann ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁Three ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁gener a ▁Ce phal op one , ▁Cy rt