Manica iviei

Introduction

Manica iviei is an extinct ant species known only from fossil specimens dating to the early Oligocene epoch, approximately 33-28 million years ago. The species was described in 2023 by John S. LaPolla from compression fossils found in the Canyon Ferry Reservoir deposit in Montana, United States. Only fossil queens have been discovered. This species represents the first known fossil Manica species from North America and was named in honor of myrmecologist Mike Ivie. The distinctive feature distinguishing this species is a broad ventral postpetiolar process, a trait shared only with the extant species Manica hunteri among North American Manica.