Monomorium mayrianum

Introduction

Monomorium mayrianum is an extinct ant species known only from Eocene amber deposits, around 37-42 million years old . It was first described as Lampromyrmex gracillimus by Mayr in 1868,but that name was already taken, so Wheeler renamed it in 1915 . These were tiny ants belonging to the subfamily Myrmicinae. Fossil specimens have been found in Baltic, Rovno, and Bitterfeld ambers across Central and Eastern Europe . Some fossils show them preserved alongside aphids (Germaraphis), which suggests these ancient ants may have had a mutualistic relationship with aphids, much like many modern ants . This species is scientifically important for understanding ant evolution but has been extinct for tens of millions of years.