Haidomyrmex, Dlussky, 1996

Phillip Barden, Hollister W. Herhold & David A. Grimaldi, 2017, A new genus of hell ants from the Cretaceous (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Haidomyrmecini) with a novel head structure, Systematic Entomology 42, pp. 837-846 : 838

• Haidomyrmex scimitarus,

Haidomyrmex zigrasi Barden & Grimaldi – reconstructions based on two entirely complete dealate ( H. scimitarus) and worker ( H. zigrasi) specimens suggested that the enigmatic L-shaped mandibles probably articulated, at least partially, in a vertical plane. In particular, the placement of trigger hairs on the clypeus as well as the hypognathous-like orientation of the head (all other non-haidomyrmecine ant heads are prognathous; Keller, 2011) suggested that hell ants were Cretaceous analogues to modern trap-jaw predators ( Barden & Grimaldi, 2012). H. scimitarus is also the largest haidomyrmecine, measuring over twice the total length of most other species.

Locality: Burmese amber