Camponotites induratus

Introduction

Camponotites induratus is an extinct ant species known only from fossil specimens preserved in Miocene-era deposits from Radoboj, Croatia. This ancient ant lived approximately 20 million years ago during the Early Miocene period. The species was originally described as Formica indurata by Oswald Heer in 1849 and was later transferred to the genus Camponotus before being placed in its own genus Camponotites in 2024. Queens of this species were remarkably large, measuring 13.5-17mm in body length, while males were smaller at around 10mm . This fossil represents one of the few well-documented Miocene ant species from Europe, providing valuable insight into ant evolution during this period.