Ponerinae

For the orchid subtribe, see Ponerinae (plant).

Ponerinae, the ponerine ants,^[2] 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.^{[citation needed]}

Ponerinae Temporal range: Turonian-Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fighting Harpegnathos saltator
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ponerinae Lepeletier, 1835
Type genus
Ponera Latreille, 1804
Diversity[1]
59 genera

Plectroctena sp. fighting

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.^[3] 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.^[3] They are rare examples of stinging ants.^[4] Females have 12-segmented antennae, whereas males have 13-segmented antennae.^[3]

Behavior

These ants typically nest in soil, forest litter, or rotting logs, and are predacious.^[5] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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^[6]
  • Corrieopone Esteves & Fisher, 2021
  • Cryptopone Emery, 1893
  • †Cyrtopone Dlussky & Wedmann, 2012^[6]
  • 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^[6]

    

    Messelepone leptogenoides male

  • 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^[6]
  • 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