Cyphomyrmex maya

Introduction

Cyphomyrmex maya is an extinct ant species preserved in Mexican amber from the Oligocene-Miocene period, approximately 20-30 million years ago. Workers measured 2.42mm in total length, making them tiny ants with dark brown coloration. The species was named after the Maya, the ancient inhabitants of Chiapas, Mexico, where the amber was found. It belongs to the rimosus group and foxi subgroup of Cyphomyrmex, characterized by distinctive features including propodeal spines and granulate-punctate integument. This species is known only from a single fossil worker preserved in amber.