A newly discovered fossilized 'hell ant' from northeastern Brazil, named Vulcanidris cratensis, may be the oldest ant ever found, dating back approximately 113 million years to the Cretaceous period.

This significant find was made by researcher Anderson Lepeco in September 2024 while examining specimens at the Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo.

Phil Barden, an evolutionary insect expert, noted that this find extends the ant fossil record by approximately ten million years, underscoring its significance.

Vulcanidris cratensis exhibits both ant-like and wasp-like characteristics, including specialized scythe-like jaws for predation and wings with more veins than modern ants, indicating a common ancestry.

Vulcanidris cratensis measures about half an inch (1.35 cm) and had specialized jaws for capturing prey, along with wings indicating it was a capable flier.

The fossil was discovered in the Crato Formation, a fossil-rich quarry, and was analyzed using advanced 3D imaging techniques to place it on the ants' evolutionary tree.

Lepeco noted that the mandibles of Vulcanidris moved up and down, contrasting with the side-to-side movement typical of contemporary ant species.

The Brazilian fossil suggests that hell ants spread across regions including Canada, France, and South America, indicating significant evolutionary development in South America.

Lepeco emphasized the importance of examining existing fossil collections, highlighting Brazil's underexplored insect fauna and its contributions to understanding insect evolution.

The research, supported by funding from FAPESP, was published in Current Biology, marking a significant step in the study of ant evolution.

This discovery helps bridge the evolutionary gap between ants and their wasp ancestors, supporting the theory that ants first evolved on the supercontinent Gondwana.

The fossil aligns with genomic studies suggesting that ants originated in the southern hemisphere, leading to their current ecological dominance.