Ponerine

Ponerinae, the ponerine ants, 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 functional egg-layers in several species of ponerine ants. In such queenless species, the reproductive status of workers can only be determined through ovarian dissections.

Description and identification

Ponerinae are most easily identified from other subfamilies by possessing a single-segmented petiole and the gaster usually being constricted between the first and second segments. ''Odontomachus'' lack this constriction, but these can be identified from their elongate, straight mandibles attached close together along the front margin of the head and with teeth only at the mandible tips. They are rare examples of stinging ants. Females have 12-segmented antennae, whereas males 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'' Roger, 1863
*Ponerini Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835
**''Anochetus'' Mayr, 1861
**†''Archiponera'' Carpenter, 1930
**''Asphinctopone'' Santschi, 1914
**''Austroponera'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014
**''Belonopelta'' Mayr, 1870
**''Boloponera'' Fisher, 2006
**''Bothroponera'' Mayr, 1862
**''Brachyponera'' Emery, 1900
**''Buniapone'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014
**'' Centromyrmex'' Mayr, 1866
**†''Cephalopone'' Dlussky & Wedmann, 2012
**''Corrieopone'' Esteves & Fisher, 2021
**''Cryptopone'' Emery, 1893
**†''Cyrtopone'' Dlussky & Wedmann, 2012
**''Diacamma'' Mayr, 1862
**''Dinoponera'' Roger, 186
**'' Dolioponera'' Brown, 1974
**'' Ectomomyrmex'' Mayr, 1867
**'' Emeryopone'' Forel, 1912
**''Euponera'' Forel, 1891
**'' Feroponera'' Bolton & Fisher, 2008
**'' Fisheropone'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014
**'' Hagensia'' Forel, 1901
**''Harpegnathos'' Jerdon, 1851
**'' Hypoponera'' Santschi, 1938
**''Iroponera'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014
**'' Leptogenys'' Roger, 1861
**'' Loboponera'' Bolton & Brown, 2002
**'' Mayaponera'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014
**''Megaponera'' Mayr, 1862
**'' Mesoponera'' Emery, 1900
**†''Messelepone'' Dlussky & Wedmann, 2012
**'' Myopias'' Roger, 1861
**''Neoponera'' Emery, 1901
**''Odontomachus'' Latreille, 1804
**'' Odontoponera'' Mayr, 1862
**'' Ophthalmopone'' Forel, 1890
**''Pachycondyla'' Smith, 1858
**''Paltothyreus'' Mayr, 1862
**'' Parvaponera'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014
**'' Phrynoponera'' Wheeler, 1920
**''Plectroctena'' Smith, 1858
**''Ponera'' Latreille, 1804
**''Promyopias'' Santschi, 1914
**†''Protopone'' Dlussky, 1988
**'' Psalidomyrmex'' André, 1890
**''Pseudoneoponera'' Donisthorpe, 1943
**'' Pseudoponera'' Emery, 1900
**'' Rasopone'' Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014
**''Simopelta'' Mann, 1922
**''Streblognathus'' Mayr, 1862
**'' Thaumatomyrmex'' Mayr, 1887
**''Wadeura'' Weber, 1939
*''incertae sedis''
**†'' Afropone'' 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