Fast mandibles, sharp eyes: A new fossil species of Odontomachus (Latreille, 1804) gr. cornutus (Formicidae: Ponerinae) from Mexican amber formation
Odontomachus is a remarkable ant genus due to the fast mandibles with kinetic action, ocular prominences and pyriform head. Currently, there are three known fossil species, O. paleomyagra Wappler et al., a compression fossil from Czech Republic, O. pseudobauri De Andrade and O. spinifer De Andrade both from Dominican amber. Here, we describe the first Mexican fossil species from Chiapas amber formation and also the first gyne specimen, namely Odontomachus angulops sp. nov. This species is the second described species for the cornutus group, also composed of the extant species O. cornutus Stitz. The ocular prominences forming angular projections, and the unique combination of wing venation characters and petiole shape, reinforce the cornutus group as a distinct taxon in the genus. We also discuss, based on the external morphology of the fossil, a phylogenetic hypothesis for the cornutus group placement in relation to the other Neotropical Odontomachus groups.
Authors
- Eder Cleyton Barbosa França (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5158-5358)
- Lucas Roberto Pereira Gomes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4782-2015)
Institutions
- Universidade Federal do Paraná (BR)
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Palaeoentomology
- Published
- 2025-08-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.8.4.11
- Primary Topic
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00