What question did this study set out to answer?

To document the first occurrence of the ant genus Hypoponera in Dominican amber and identify a new species.

February 8, 2026Journal of Paleontology0 citationsOpen Access

The ant genus Hypoponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Dominican amber

GFGianpiero FiorentinoRutgers, The State University of New Jersey VBValentine BoujuHarvard Bioscience (Germany)DSDiyael SosaUniversidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo

Key Points

To document the first occurrence of the ant genus Hypoponera in Dominican amber and identify a new species.
Described fossilized specimens from Dominican amber.
Identified morphological features of the genus Hypoponera.
Compared with modern species for classification.
Identified a new species, Hypoponera electrocacica.
Confirmed the presence of the genus in the Caribbean Miocene.
Expanded the known diversity of Hypoponera in the Greater Antilles to five species and two subspecies.

Abstract

Abstract Hypoponera Santschi, 1938 is a genus of ponerine ants, well known for its simplified morphology, lacking any clear autopomorphy, and its cosmopolitan distribution. Here, we describe the first Hypoponera in Dominican amber. The discovery of Hypoponera electrocacica new species confirms the long-expected presence of the genus in the Caribbean Miocene. The modern diversity of Hypoponera in the Greater Antilles now stands at five species and two putative subspecies. UUID: https://zoobank.org/685e8727-72e2-4723-bce3-5d7c53680eee

Ask AI

Helpful

Bookmark

View Full Paper