Aphaenogaster dlusskyana

Introduction

Aphaenogaster dlusskyana is an extinct ant species preserved in Sakhalin amber from the Middle Eocene, approximately 41 million years ago . This fossil represents the oldest known member of the stenammine tribe and the earliest described species of the still-living genus Aphaenogaster . The single known worker measures about 4 mm in total length and shows the slender body, long antennae, and distinctive propodeal spines typical of modern Aphaenogaster species . The specimen comes from the Naibuchi Formation in the Sakhalin region of Russia and is housed in the PIN museum collection . As an extinct species, it cannot be kept in captivity.