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 Gaster (insect anatomy), gasters) and "Morphology (biology), morphologically simplified" relative to workers. Males remain unknown. Species have an army ant, army-ant life style, including group predation and nomadism. However, belonging to the tribe (biology), 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'' MacKay & MacKay, 2008 *''Simopelta jeckylli'' (Mann, 1916) *''Simopelta laevigata'' MacKay & MacKay, 2008 *''Simopelta laticeps'' Gotwald & Brown, 1967 *''Simopelta longinoda'' MacKay & MacKay, 2008 *''Simopelta longirostris'' MacKay & MacKay, 2008 *''Simopelta manni'' Wheeler, 1935 *''Simopelta mayri'' MacKay & MacKay, 2008 *''Simopelta minima'' (Brandao, 1989) *''Simopelta oculata'' Gotwald & Brown, 1967 *''Simopelta paeminosa'' Snelling, 1971 *''Simopelta pentadentata'' *''Simopelta pergandei'' (Forel, 1909) *''Simopelta quadridentata'' MacKay & MacKay, 2008 *''Simopelta transversa'' MacKay & MacKay, 2008 *''Simopelta vieirai'' MacKay & MacKay, 2008 *''Simopelta williamsi'' Wheeler, 1935References
External links
* Ponerinae Ant genera Hymenoptera of South America {{Ponerinae-stub