Tapinoma minutissimum

Introduction

Tapinoma minutissimum is an extinct ant species known only from a single male specimen preserved in Sicilian amber from the Oligocene epoch . The male is the smallest known among fossil and extant Tapinoma species, measuring about 0.8 mm in length . The body is dark brown, with the peduncle, legs, and genitalia being testaceous (yellowish‑brown) . It has a fine pubescence with almost no erect hairs . Belonging to the subfamily Dolichoderinae and tribe Tapinomini, this species likely relied on chemical defense mechanisms (smearing foul‑smelling compounds) rather than a sting, as typical for the group. Currently, no queens or workers have been found, so all ecological and behavioral information is inferred from the male morphology and its taxonomic position .