Ponera wheeleri

Introduction

Ponera wheeleri is an extinct ant species known only from fossils preserved in Eocene amber, approximately 33-37 million years old . The species was described in 2009 from specimens found in Bitterfeld amber, representing one of the few known fossil records for the genus Ponera . Only male specimens have been documented, with no fossil workers or queens discovered . The genus Ponera contains small, cryptic ants that typically nest in soil, rotting wood, or under stones in forested habitats . This particular species went extinct millions of years ago and has no living representatives.