Ponerinae, or ponerine ants, are a subfamily of poneromorph ants containing about 1,600 species in 54 extant genera. They include Dinoponera gigantea, one of the world's largest species of ant. In several species of ponerine ants, mated workers have replaced the queen as the functional egg-layers. 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 Boltonopone Fisher et al. 2025 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 †Desyopone Boudinot & Perrichot, 2022 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 Igaponera Troya et al., 2022 Leptogenys Roger, 1861 Loboponera Bolton & Brown, 2002 Makebapone Fisher et al. 2025 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 †Ponerites Dlussky & Rasnitsyn, 2003 Promyopias Santschi, 1914 †Protopone Dlussky, 1988 Psalidomyrmex André, 1890 Pseudoneoponera Donisthorpe, 1943 Pseudoponera Emery, 1900 Rasopone Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014 †Siinikaponera Varela-Hernández et al., 2024 Simopelta Mann, 1922 Sritoponera Fisher et al. 2025 Streblognathus Mayr, 1862 Subiridopone Fisher et al. 2025 Thaumatomyrmex Mayr, 1887 Wadeura Weber, 1939 Xiphopelta Forel, 1913
incertae sedis †Afropone Dlussky, Brothers & Rasnitsyn, 2004 †Eogorgites Hong, 2002 †Eoponerites Hong, 2002 †Furcisutura Hong, 2002 †Longicapitia Hong, 2002 †Taphopone Dlussky & Perfilieva, 2014
Phylogeny The maximum-probability molecular cladogram of the subfamily constructed by Fisher et al. in 2025 is shown here. All genera are represented except for Igaponera, which is only known from a single queen specimen. Six unofficial genus groups are recognized by the authors within the tribe Ponerini, namely the Pachycondyla, Ponera, Harpegnathos, Plectroctena, Hypoponera, and Odontomachus groups.
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