Ancient "Hell Ant" Fossil Found in Brazil is Oldest Known

Scientists have discovered the oldest known ant fossil, a 113-million-year-old "hell ant" from Brazil, pushing back the fossil record for ants by about 10 million years.

The fossil, preserved in limestone from the Crato Formation, was found in the Museum of Zoology at the University of São Paulo. Named Vulcanidris cratensis, it belongs to the extinct subfamily Haidomyrmecinae, known for their scythe-like jaws used to impale prey.

Most previously known hell ants were found preserved in amber from France and Myanmar, dating to about 99 million years ago. This limestone discovery suggests these ants were already widely distributed and diversified during the Cretaceous period.

Researchers noted the fossil’s wasp-like features and used micro-CT imaging to study its structure. Ants first evolved about 145 million years ago and thrived after the mass extinction event 66 million years ago, eventually becoming some of the most common insects on Earth.

The find, published in Current Biology, is hailed as a major breakthrough in understanding early ant evolution.

A close-up profile view of a Dhagnathos autokrator queens head.

Credit: Vincent Perrichot/AntWeb.org

Close-up view of an Aquilomyrmex huangi gynes head.Credit: Sieghard Ellenberger/AntWeb.org

The dirt ant in amber. Credit: Gianpiero Fiorentino et al

The Basiceros manni wearing its coat of dirt.

Credit: April Nobile/AntWeb.org