Ponerinae
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Ponerinae is a
subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classifica ...
of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 47 extant genera, including '' Dinoponera gigantea'' - one of the world's largest species of ant. Mated workers have replaced the
queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
as the functional egg-layers in several
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...
of
ponerine Ponerinae is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 47 extant genera, including ''Dinoponera gigantea'' - one of the world's largest species of ant. Mated workers have replaced the queen as the ...
ants. In such queenless species, the
reproductive The reproductive system of an organism, also known as the genital system, is the biological system made up of all the anatomical organs involved in sexual reproduction. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are a ...
status of workers can only be determined through ovarian dissections.


Description and identification

They are most easily identified from other subfamilies by possessing a single-node petiole with a constriction before the second gastral segment. They are rare examples of stinging ants. In addition to the sting, they can also be characterized by a single segmented petiole and the constriction of the first and second segment of the gaster. They can also be identified by the shape of their head. Female workers have twelve segmented antennae, whereas male workers have 13 segmented antennae.


Behavior

These ants typically nest in soil, forest litter, or rotting logs, and are predacious. They primarily prey on isopods. They mostly live in small colonies of up to 200 workers. They can be found mostly in tropical environments, but have been found in southeastern Canada and New York.


Genera

* Platythyreini Emery, 1901 **''
Platythyrea ''Platythyrea'' is a genus of predaceous ants in the subfamily Ponerinae and the sole member of the tribe Platythyreini. Distribution The genus has a worldwide distribution, and is found in the tropics and subtropics of the world. Descript ...
'' Roger, 1863 *
Ponerini Ponerini is a tribe of Ponerinae ants with 46 genera and 6 extinct genera. Genera *'' Anochetus'' *†'' Archiponera'' *'' Asphinctopone'' *'' Austroponera'' *''Belonopelta'' *''Boloponera'' *''Bothroponera'' *''Brachyponera'' *'' Buni ...
Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835 **'' Anochetus'' Mayr, 1861 **†'' Archiponera'' Carpenter, 1930 **''
Asphinctopone ''Asphinctopone'' is a small genus of rarely encountered Afrotropical ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. Species * ''Asphinctopone differens'' Bolton & Fisher, 2008 * ''Asphinctopone pilosa'' Hawkes, 2010 * ''Asphinctopone silvestrii'' Santsch ...
'' Santschi, 1914 **''
Austroponera ''Austroponera'' is a ponerine genus of ant Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous perio ...
'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014 **'' Belonopelta'' Mayr, 1870 **'' Boloponera'' Fisher, 2006 **'' Bothroponera'' Mayr, 1862 **'' Brachyponera'' Emery, 1900 **''
Buniapone ''Buniapone'' is a monotypic genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. ''Buniapone amblyops'', the single described species, is found in Southern and Southeast Asia. Etymology The genus name is derived from orang bunian, supernatural forest- ...
'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014 **''
Centromyrmex ''Centromyrmex'' is a pantropical, though mainly Afrotropical, genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. This ponerine ant was recorded for the first time in French Guiana and the most northerly point of recording was in Costa Rica. The speci ...
'' Mayr, 1866 **†'' Cephalopone'' Dlussky & Wedmann, 2012 **'' Cryptopone'' Emery, 1893 **†''
Cyrtopone ''Cyrtopone'' is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae described from fossils found in Europe. There are four described species placed into the genus, ''Cyrtopone curiosa'', ''Cyrtopone elongata'', ''Cyrtopone microcepha ...
'' Dlussky & Wedmann, 2012 **'' Diacamma'' Mayr, 1862 **'' Dinoponera'' Roger, 186 **''
Dolioponera ''Dolioponera'' is a genus of small ants in the subfamily Ponerinae Ponerinae is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 47 extant genera, including ''Dinoponera gigantea'' - one of the world's ...
'' Brown, 1974 **'' Ectomomyrmex'' Mayr, 1867 **'' Emeryopone'' Forel, 1912 **''
Euponera ''Euponera'' is a ponerine genus of ants distributed in the Afrotropics (including Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de ...
'' Forel, 1891 **''
Feroponera ''Feroponera'' is a monotypic Afrotropical genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae containing the single species ''Feroponera ferox''. The genus is known only from a few specimen collected from an unoccupied termitary Termites are small ...
'' Bolton & Fisher, 2008 **''
Fisheropone ''Fisheropone'' (named after Brian Fisher) is a genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. Known from central Africa, it contains a single described species ''Fisheropone ambigua'', and at least one undescribed species In taxonomy, an undescr ...
'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014 **''
Hagensia ''Hagensia'' is a small genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. Its two species are known only from coastal areas in South Africa. Workers are large (10.5–13.0 mm); queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Quee ...
'' Forel, 1901 **''
Harpegnathos ''Harpegnathos'' is a small ponerine genus of ants found in South and Southeast Asia. They are notable for their jumping ability, complex colony structure, and large to very large workers easily identifiable by their long mandibles and large eyes ...
'' Jerdon, 1851 **''
Hypoponera ''Hypoponera'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. The genus has a worldwide distribution and is found in all continents except Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost e ...
'' Santschi, 1938 **''
Iroponera ''Iroponera'' (from Latin ''ironia'', "assumed ignorance", ''-pone'', from the name of the subfamily) is a monotypic genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. ''Iroponera odax'', the single described species, is known only from a few collections ...
'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014 **''
Leptogenys ''Leptogenys'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. ''Leptogenys'' is the most diverse ponerine ant genus in the world; it is widespread throughout tropical and subtropical regions and there are over 260 extant species described. Most ...
'' Roger, 1861 **''
Loboponera ''Loboponera'' is an Afrotropical genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae with nine recognized species. The genus is found in central and western Africa, from Ivory Coast to Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of ...
'' Bolton & Brown, 2002 **''
Mayaponera ''Mayaponera'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. It contains the single species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversi ...
'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014 **''
Megaponera ''Megaponera analis'' is the sole species of the genus ''Megaponera''. They are a strictly termite-eating (termitophagous) ponerine ant species widely distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa and most commonly known for their column-like raiding format ...
'' Mayr, 1862 **''
Mesoponera ''Mesoponera'' is an Old World genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae Ponerinae is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 47 extant genera, including ''Dinoponera gigantea'' - one of the wor ...
'' Emery, 1900 **†''
Messelepone ''Messelepone'' is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae described from fossils found in Europe. ''M. leptogenoides'' is the only species assigned to the genus, which is one of several Lutetian Ponerinae genera. Histor ...
'' Dlussky & Wedmann, 2012 **''
Myopias ''Myopias'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae Ponerinae is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 47 extant genera, including ''Dinoponera gigantea'' - one of the world's largest ...
'' Roger, 1861 **'' Neoponera'' Emery, 1901 **'' Odontomachus'' Latreille, 1804 **'' Odontoponera'' Mayr, 1862 **''
Ophthalmopone ''Ophthalmopone'' is a ponerine genus of ants found in Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Cent ...
'' Forel, 1890 **''
Pachycondyla ''Pachycondyla'' is a ponerine genus of ants found in the Neotropics. Distribution ''Pachycondyla'' is currently distributed from southern United States to northern Argentina, but some fossil species (e.g. '' P. eocenica'' and '' P. lutzi'') ar ...
'' Smith, 1858 **''
Paltothyreus ''Paltothyreus'' (also known as African stink ant) is a monotypic genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. ''Paltothyreus tarsatus'', the single described species, is widely distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa. Workers are very large in size (17 ...
'' Mayr, 1862 **'' Parvaponera'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014 **'' Phrynoponera'' Wheeler, 1920 **'' Plectroctena'' Smith, 1858 **''
Ponera ''Ponera'' is a genus of ponerine ants. The name is the Latinized form (') of the Ancient Greek ' (, 'wicked, wretched'). Description Workers are very small to small in size (1–4 mm); queen are similar to workers but winged. This genus ...
'' Latreille, 1804 **''
Promyopias ''Promyopias'' is an Afrotropical genus of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae containing the single species ''Promyopias silvestrii''. The rare genus has previously been regarded as a separate genus, as a subgenus and as a provisional synonymy, but ...
'' Santschi, 1914 **†''
Protopone ''Protopone'' is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae described from fossils found in Europe and Asia. There are seven described species placed into the genus, ''Protopone? dubia'', ''Protopone germanica'', ''Protopone ...
'' Dlussky, 1988 **'' Psalidomyrmex'' André, 1890 **'' Pseudoneoponera'' Donisthorpe, 1943 **''
Pseudoponera ''Pseudoponera'' is a small genus of ponerine ants. The genus was described by Emery in 1900. Description The genus contains a small number of species, preferring Neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms ...
'' Emery, 1900 **'' Rasopone'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014 **'' Simopelta'' Mann, 1922 **''
Streblognathus ''Streblognathus'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. The genus contains two species found in southern Africa. Species * '' Streblognathus aethiopicus'' (Smith, 1858) * '' Streblognathus peetersi'' Robertson, 2002 Biology Both spec ...
'' Mayr, 1862 **'' Thaumatomyrmex'' Mayr, 1887 *''
incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...
'' **†''
Afropone ''Afropone'' is an extinct genus of ant in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae, and is currently unplaced in any of the tribes of that subfamily. The genus contains two described species, ''Afropone oculata'' and ''Afropone (?) orapa''. ''Afropo ...
'' Dlussky, Brothers & Rasnitsyn, 2004 **†'' Eogorgites'' Hong, 2002 **†'' Eoponerites'' Hong, 2002 **†'' Furcisutura'' Hong, 2002 **†'' Longicapitia'' Hong, 2002 **†'' Ponerites'' Dlussky & Rasnitsyn, 2003 **†'' Taphopone'' Dlussky & Perfilieva, 2014


References


External links

* Ant subfamilies Turonian first appearances Taxa named by Amédée Louis Michel le Peletier Extant Turonian first appearances {{Ponerinae-stub