Bradoponera wunderlichi

Introduction

Bradoponera wunderlichi is an extinct ant species known only from Eocene amber deposits, approximately 44 million years old. Workers measure 2.35-2.80 mm, making them among the smallest ants ever discovered in the fossil record . The queen is about 2.5 mm long . This species has only 9-segmented antennae, unlike most ants which have 12 segments - a unique trait that sets it apart from all other Bradoponera species . The species was first described in 2003 from a single queen in Baltic amber, and workers were formally described in 2025 from Rovno amber specimens . These ants lived in subtropical to tropical forests and were likely arboreal, nesting in tree cavities and debris accumulated on epiphytes .