Cephalotes jansei

Introduction

Cephalotes jansei is an extinct ant species known only from Dominican amber dating to the Miocene epoch, approximately 15-20 million years ago. Workers measure 4.69-5.48mm total length and have a distinctive rusty (ferruginous) coloration with long, flexible hairs covering their bodies. This species belongs to the emeryi clade of Cephalotes, characterized by broad triangular teeth on the pronotal sides and specialized morphological features. The species was originally described as Exocryptocerus jansei in 1995, then transferred to the genus Cephalotes in 1999 by de Andrade and Baroni Urbani . Unlike many fossil ants, C. jansei is known from well-preserved specimens that show intricate details of its anatomy.