Plagiolepis paradoxa

Introduction

Plagiolepis paradoxa is an extinct ant species known only from a single male fossil preserved in Bitterfeld amber (Germany), dating to the Late Eocene around 35-40 million years ago . The male is very small, with a total body length of 1.9 mm . Its head is rounded without distinct occipital corners, and the large, almost circular eyes have a maximum diameter half the head length. The mandibles are narrow and curved with a sharp apical tooth, lacking small teeth on the masticatory margin. The forewing has a closed cell mcu, a trait not seen in other Plagiolepis males, making this species distinctive . Only the male is known; queens and workers have never been found, so almost everything about the colony biology remains a mystery.