Cyphomyrmex taino

Introduction

Cyphomyrmex taino is an extinct ant species known only from a single fossil queen preserved in Dominican amber dating to approximately 20-30 million years ago during the Miocene epoch . The queen measured 3.02mm in total length, making it a small ant species . It belongs to the rimosus group and foxi subgroup within the genus Cyphomyrmex, a group of fungus-growing ants in the tribe Attini . The species was named after the Taino, the indigenous people of Hispaniola, reflecting its origin from the Dominican Republic . The genus Cyphomyrmex continues today with numerous living species throughout the Neotropics, though the specific taino species has been extinct for millions of years.