Tetraponera klebsi

Introduction

Tetraponera klebsi is an extinct ant species known only from Eocene Baltic amber, roughly 44 million years old . Wheeler originally described it as Sima klebsi in 1915 before Ward reclassified it into the genus Tetraponera in 1990 . Workers measured 8.5mm in body length, making them relatively large for the genus . The head was longer than wide with rounded occipital corners, a weakly concave occipital margin, and oval flat eyes with ocelli present. The pronotum had a weakly convex dorsal surface without humeral prominences, and the mesopropodeal constriction was distinct. The petiole was longer than high, with a thick node and distinct short peduncle compressed laterally . This is a fossil species that went extinct millions of years ago. No living colonies exist anywhere on Earth. It cannot be kept in captivity. Specimens have been found in amber from the Gulf of Gdańsk, Bitterfeld, Jutland, and Rovno regions .