Apterostigma eowilsoni

Introduction

Apterostigma eowilsoni is an extinct species of fungus-growing ant known only from a single worker preserved in Dominican amber dating to the Miocene epoch . This fossil, estimated to be 15-20 million years old, provides a remarkable snapshot of an ancient ant that lived in the forests of what is now the Dominican Republic. The worker displays unique features including dramatically protruding eyes mounted on tubercles that project like ears from the sides of the head, giving it excellent forward-facing stereoscopic vision . Named in honor of the renowned myrmecologist E.O. Wilson, this species belongs to the pilosum group within the genus Apterostigma . As an extinct species known solely from the fossil record, Apterostigma eowilsoni cannot be kept in captivity and exists only as a scientific specimen in the American Museum of Natural History collection.