Sphecomyrma mesaki

Introduction

Sphecomyrma mesaki is an extinct ant species that lived during the Late Cretaceous, roughly 92 million years ago (94.3-89.3 Ma). It was described from a worker preserved in New Jersey amber and belongs to the extinct subfamily Sphecomyrminae, one of the most primitive ant lineages known . The fossil shows a large head (length 2.20 mm) and a mesosoma length of 2.66 mm; the petiole and gaster are missing, so total body length is unknown . It is about twice the size of the related species *Sphecomyrma nexa* and can be distinguished by its proportionally shorter scape and extended medial clypeal lobe . Because this species has been extinct for tens of millions of years, it cannot be kept in captivity. No living colonies exist, and the only specimens are fossilized in amber, making them scientific treasures, not pets. If you are interested in primitive ants, consider living species in early‑branching subfamilies like Ponerinae (*Amblyopone*, *Myrmecia*), which show ancestral behaviors.