This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2021)
Zigrasimecia
Temporal range: Late Albian - early Cenomanian 100 Ma
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Zigrasimecia hoelldobleri worker
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hymenoptera
Family:
Formicidae
Subfamily:
†Zigrasimeciinae
Genus:
†Zigrasimecia Barden & Grimaldi, 2013[1]
Type species
Zigrasimecia tonsora
Species
Z. ferox Perrichot, 2014
Z. tonsora Barden & Grimaldi, 2013
Z. hoelldobleri Cao et al., 2020
Z. goldingot Zhuang et al. 2021
Zigrasimecia is an extinct genus of ants which existed in the Cretaceous period approximately 98 million years ago. The first specimens were collected from Burmese amber in Kachin State, 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of Myitkyina town in Myanmar. In 2013, palaeoentomologists Phillip Barden and David Grimaldi published a paper describing and naming Zigrasimecia tonsora. They described a dealate female with unusual features, notably the highly specialized mandibles. Other features include large ocelli, short scapes, 12 antennomeres, small eyes, and a clypeal margin that has a row of peg-like denticles. The genus Zigrasimecia was originally incertae sedis (uncertain placement) within Formicidae until a second species, Zigrasimecia ferox, was described in 2014, leading to its placement in the subfamily Sphecomyrminae. Later, it was considered to belong to the distinct subfamily Zigrasimeciinae.
Due to the highly specialized mandibles, scientists believe that the ants exhibited habits no longer seen in extant ants. The highly movable head suggests that mobility was an important factor for them (probably for feeding behavior), and the rugose projections may have played a major role in nest excavation because the mandibles would have prevented such activity. Zigrasimecia most likely interacted with the extinct ant genus Gerontoformica through conflict and probably shared some of their ecological niches. The mandibles of these ants were probably used for mechanical interactions with food, and they may also have served as traps for potential arthropod prey such as mites and small flies. Zigrasimecia was possibly a generalist predator.
^Johnson, N.F. (2007). "Zigrasimecia Barden & Grimaldi, 2013". Hymenoptera Name Server version 1.5. Columbus, Ohio, USA: Ohio State University. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
Zigrasimecia is an extinct genus of ants which existed in the Cretaceous period approximately 98 million years ago. The first specimens were collected...
Zigrasimeciinae species Boltonimecia canadensis Protozigrasimecia chauli Zigrasimecia ferox Zigrasimecia tonsora Borysenko, L.H. (2017). "Description of a new genus...
Pseudarmania and Sphecomyrma; while Zigrasimeciini contains Boltonimecia and Zigrasimecia. A number of taxa have been removed from the subfamily and placed either...
tribe of Sphecomyrminae, Zigrasimeciini along with the sister genus Zigrasimecia. Examination of the paratype worker led Borysenko to conclude that the...
amber from Myanmar. Zhuang et al. (2022) describe a female specimen of Zigrasimecia with exceptionally preserved soft tissues from the Cretaceous amber from...
Camelomecia, Ceratomyrmex, Gerontoformica, Haidomyrmex, Myanmyrma, and Zigrasimecia. Linguamyrmex is one of five genera in Haidomyrmecini, the other four...
Burmomyrma, Ceratomyrmex, Gerontoformica, Haidomyrmex, Myanmyrma, and Zigrasimecia. A phylogeny of stem group ants in relation to wasps and crown group...
Camelomecia, Gerontoformica, Haidomyrmex, Linguamyrmex , Myanmyrma, and Zigrasimecia. Perrichot et al. suggested several different functions for the highly...
(263): 79–81. Perrichot, V. (2014). "A new species of the Cretaceous ant Zigrasimecia based on the worker caste reveals placement of the genus in the Sphecomyrminae...
amber the others being Burmomyrma, Haidomyrmex, Sphecomyrmodes, and Zigrasimecia. In the type description, Engel and Grimaldi described Myanmyrma as a...
PMID 36750946. Chaul, J. C. M. (2023). "A revision of the Cretaceous ant genus Zigrasimecia Barden & Grimaldi, 2013 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: †Zigrasimeciinae)"...
Borysenko Late Cretaceous Canadian amber Canada An ant, a relative of Zigrasimecia. The type species is "Sphecomyrma" canadensis Wilson (1985). Bombus (Cullumanobombus)...
PMID 25283896. Vincent Perrichot (2014). "A new species of the Cretaceous ant Zigrasimecia based on the worker caste reveals placement of the genus in the Sphecomyrminae...
of polymorphism within worker caste of ants belonging to the species Zigrasimecia ferox is presented by Cao et al. (2020). A study comparing the relative...
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