Tapinoma neli

Introduction

Tapinoma neli is an extinct ant species preserved in Miocene amber from Peru, dating to approximately 12 million years ago . Workers measure just 1.65mm in total length, making this a tiny species even by ant standards . The body is mostly reddish brown with paler coxae, tarsi, and mandibles, and is covered in very short appressed pubescence . This species was described from amber found in the Pebas Formation in northeastern Peru . As a fossil species, Tapinoma neli cannot be kept in captivity. This caresheet exists for informational purposes only, documenting what we know from the preserved specimen.