Simopelta
''Simopelta'' is a Neotropical genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. Distribution The genus is known from central and northern South America, where they are primarily found in mid-elevation moist forests. Description Workers are slender, small in size (2.1–4.9 mm), and black to orange in color. Queens are dichthadiiform (wingless and with enlarged gasters) and " morphologically simplified" relative to workers. Males remain unknown. Species have an army-ant life style, including group predation and nomadism. However, belonging to the tribe Ponerini, they are evidently ponerines and the army-ant like characters are deemed to have evolved through convergent evolution. Compared to other ponerines, colonies are large, consisting of 1,000 to 2,000 individuals. Species *'' Simopelta andersoni'' MacKay & MacKay, 2008 *''Simopelta bicolor'' Borgmeier, 1950 *'' Simopelta breviscapa'' MacKay & MacKay, 2008 *'' Simopelta curvata'' (Mayr, 1887) *'' Simopelta fernandezi'' Mac ...
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