Brownimeciinae

Brownimecia Temporal range: 94–Late Cretaceous Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
B. clavata holotype
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Genus:	†Brownimecia Grimaldi, Agosti & Carpenter, 1997
Species:	†B. clavata
Binomial name
Brownimecia clavata Grimaldi, Agosti & Carpenter, 1997

Brownimecia is an extinct genus of ants, the only genus in the tribe Brownimeciini and subfamily Brownimeciinae of the Formicidae. Fossils of the single identified species, Brownimecia clavata, are known from the Middle Cretaceous of North America. The genus is one of several ants described from Middle Cretaceous ambers of New Jersey. Brownimecia was initially placed in the subfamily Ponerinae, until it was transferred to its own subfamily in 2003; it can be distinguished from other ants due to its unusual sickle-like mandibles and other morphological features that makes this ant unique among the Formicidae. The ant is also small, measuring 3.43 millimetres (0.135 in), and a stinger is present in almost all of the specimens collected. The morphology of the mandibles suggest a high level of feeding specialization.

Brownimecia is known from three adult fossils: the holotype—specimen number AMNH NJ-667—collected by Yale Goldman; the paratype; and a third described in 2005. At the time of the genus description, the type specimens were residing in the American Museum of Natural History, in New York City. All the described specimens are worker caste adult females which have been preserved as inclusions in transparent chunks of New Jersey amber. The amber specimens were recovered from deposits of the South Amboy Fire Clay, part of the Raritan Formation. New Jersey amber has been dated to approximately 90 to 94 mya, placing it in the Turonian of the Late Cretaceous. Analysis of the amber composition indicates it originated as cupressaceous resins which were deposited in lagoons and salt water marshes along the Cretaceous eastern seaboard.Brownimecia clavata is one of several ant species described from New Jersey amber, the others being Sphecomyrma freyi, Sphecomyrma mesaki, Baikuris casei, and Kyromyrma neffi.