Eocamponotus mengei

Introduction

Eocamponotus mengei is an extinct ant species that lived during the Eocene epoch, approximately 44-49 million years ago. It was originally described from Baltic amber by Mayr in 1868 as Camponotus igneus, later recognized as a synonym of E. mengei by Wheeler in 1915 . Workers show morphological affinities to modern Camponotus species, particularly Camponotus sylvaticus from southern Europe . Recent research suggests it may more closely resemble the subgenus Camponotus s.str. found across the Holarctic region today . This species is unique in being the only described ant species known from all late Eocene European ambers including Baltic, Bitterfeld, Rovno, Jutland, and Scandinavian ambers .