Sphecomyrma nexa

Introduction

Sphecomyrma nexa is an extinct ant species from the Late Cretaceous period, preserved in Campanian amber from North Carolina, USA . It is one of the earliest known ants, living around 77-92 million years ago, alongside the dinosaurs. The worker is about 3.5mm in total body length, making it a small ant even by modern standards . It looks very similar to its relative Sphecomyrma freyi, but you can tell them apart by the triangular spicule on the underside of its waist segment that points forward . Its name 'nexa' comes from the Latin word 'nectere' meaning 'to bind', referencing its role as a key early ant that represents the basic 'platonic ant' body plan .