Camponotites silvestris

Introduction

Camponotites silvestris is an extinct ant species from the Late Pliocene, known only from fossil specimens found in the Willershausen clay pit in Lower Saxony, northern Germany . This species belongs to the subfamily Formicinae, making it a relative of modern carpenter ants (Camponotus). The only known specimen is a winged queen (gyne) preserved as a ventral impression in clay sediments. Based on wing measurements, this was a large ant—the fore-wing exceeded 19mm in length, making it larger than any modern Palaearctic Camponotus species which typically reach 13-16mm . The body was black and the wings were medium brown . The fossil site was a moist forest or floodplain environment with standing water . This species cannot be kept in captivity as it is extinct—only fossil specimens exist.