Xiphopelta is a genus of ponerine ants containing 11 species found in the Afrotropics. Described as a subgenus in 1913, synonymized in 1973, and revalidated to full generic status by Fisher et al. in 2025, its species were previously placed in the genus Mesoponera by Schmidt & Shattuck in 2014. Its scientific name means "sword-shielded ant" from ancient Greek xíphos + péltā.
Species Xiphopelta contains 11 valid species as of 2025. Xiphopelta ambigua (André, 1890) Xiphopelta elisae (Forel, 1891) Xiphopelta flavopilosa (Weber, 1942) Xiphopelta nimba (Bernard, 1953) Xiphopelta novemdentata (Bernard, 1953) Xiphopelta picea (Bernard, 1953) Xiphopelta scolopax (Emery, 1899) Xiphopelta senegalensis (Santschi, 1914) Xiphopelta testacea (Bernard, 1953) Xiphopelta villiersi (Bernard, 1953) Xiphopelta weberi (Bernard, 1953)
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