The Ants of Africa
SUBFAMILY PONERINAE

(Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeaux, 1835: 185)
Contents - Ponerinae

Diagnostic Features - Pedicel of a single segment, with a narrow connection to the gaster (the helcium) so that the petiole has a distinct posterior face. Eyes usually present; clypeus well developed so that the antennal insertions are some distance behind the anterior margin of the head. Genae usually not carinate. Frontal carinae at least partially cover the antennal insertions, forming simple short semicircles or blunt trinagles. Pygidium never impressed or armed with spines or denticles. Alitrunk dorsally usually with at least one suture.

Status revised by Bolton (2003: 7, 42, 156), with separation of (now) Subfamily Amblyoponinae (Genera Amblyopone, Concoctio, Mystrium and Prionopelta) and Subfamily Proceratiinae (Genera Discothyrea, Proceratium and Probolomyrmex). Further changes come from the work of Schmidt & Shattuck (2014) who revised the higher classification of the subfamily.  In particular they reverted the membership of Pachycondyla to the situation essentially prior to the publication of Bolton (1995). The revived African genera in the Schmidt & Shattuck list are Bothroponera Mayr; Brachyponera Emery; Euponera Forel; Hagensia Forel; Megaponera Mayr; Mesoponera Emery; Ophthalmopone Forel; and Paltothyreus Mayr. They defined two new genera, Fisheropone Schmidt & Shattuck and Parvaponera Schmidt & Shattuck. There now are no known African Pachycondyla F. Smith. Schmidt & Shattuck (2014: Fig. 48) map "exotic" presence of unnamed Genus Ponera Latreille, in Gabon and South Africa but cite Bolton & Fisher (2011) as reporting no definitive records. Antweb - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0900367 (accessed 27.vi.2014) show a worker of Ponera swezeyi from Zanzibar but no Ponera from Gabon or South Africa.


Genera

Genus Anochetus Mayr Genus Asphinctopone Santschi Genus Boloponera Fisher
Genus Bothroponera Mayr
Genus Brachyponera Emery
Genus Euponera Forel
Genus Centromyrmex Mayr Genus Cryptopone Emery Genus Dolioponera Brown
Genus Euponera Forel
Genus Feroponera Bolton & Fisher Genus Fisheropone Schmidt & Shattuck
Genus Hagensia Forel Genus Hypoponera Santschi Genus Leptogenys Roger
Genus Loboponera Bolton & Brown Genus Megaponera Mayr Genus Mesoponera Emery
Genus Odontomachus Latreille Genus Ophthalmopone Forel Genus Paltothyreus Mayr
Genus Parvaponera Schmidt & Shattuck Genus Phrynoponera Wheeler Genus Platythyrea Roger
Genus Plectroctena F. Smith Genus Ponera Latreille
Genus Proceratium Roger
Genus Promyopias Santschi Genus Psalidomyrmex André Genus Streblognathus Mayr

Bolton & Brown (2002) formally describing the new Genus Loboponera, have grouped three Afrotropical genera, Plectroctena, Psalidomyrmex and Loboponera as having a common "autapomorphic" development in workers and queens, i.e. "the anteroventral articulatory surface of the petiole being long and very broad, the surface with a narrow median V-shaped longitudinal groove or central small pore-like depression".

In essence the following key (derived in part from Bolton, 1994) was posted by me long before the on-line publication of Bolton, B. & Fisher, B.L. 2008c. Afrotropical ants of the ponerine genera Centromyrmex Mayr, Promyopias Santschi gen. rev. and Feroponera gen. n., with a revised key to genera of African Ponerinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa, 1929, 1-37 - weblink - http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2008/f/z01929p037f.pdf [10 Nov. 2008]

Illustrated Key to Ponerine genera of Africa

1 {Anochetus face}Mandible long and linear, in full-face view inserted in the middle of the anterior margin of the head, with an apical armament of 3 teeth arranged in a vertical series 2
-- {Psalidomyrmex & Plectroctena faces}Mandible linear to triangular, in full-face view inserted at the anterolateral corner of the head and not armed apically with a vertical series of teeth 3
2 {Odontomachus face}Nuchal carina (separating dorsal from posterior surfaces of head) converging in a V at the midline, and also receiving a pair of prominent, dark, posterior apophyseal lines that converge to form the sharp median-dorsal groove of the vertex; dorsalmost tooth of apical mandibular series truncated; large species (TL > 10mm). Odontomachus
-- {Anochetus africanus face}Nuchal carina forming a broad, uninterrupted curve across the posterodorsal extremity of the head; posterior surface without paired, dark apophyseal lines; on vertex the median groove absent or ill-defined and shallow; dorsalmost tooth of apical mandibular series acute; relatively small (TL rarely more than 6 mm). Anochetus
3 {Centromyrmex hind leg}Dorsal (outer) surfaces of middle tibiae and middle and hind basitarsi equipped with numerous strong cuticular spines or peg-like teeth which are very conspicuous 4
-- Ventral apex of hind tibia, when viewed from in front with the femur at right angle to the body, with two spurs, consisting of a large, pectinate spur and a second, smaller spur in front of the main spur in the direction of observation 6
4 {Promyopias silvestrii}Mandibles elongated with apical set of 3-4 small teeth; TL 5 mm; red brown, head, mandibles and funiculi darker Promyopias
-- Mandibles triangular to elongate-triangular, apex without a set of 3-4 small teeth 5
5 {Feroponera ferox}Antennae with a distinct 4-segmented club; mandibles subtriangular, short and stout, with 5 teeth; the apical tooth much the largest, curved and acute so that the mandibles cross when closed; anterior clypeal margin on each side with a broadly triangular tooth projecting over the base of the closed mandibles; palp formula 2,3 Feroponera
-- {Centromyrmex arnoldi head}{short description of image}Antennal funiculus increasing from base to apex but without a distinct club Centromyrmex
6 Ventral apex of hind tibia, when viewed from in front with the femur at right angle to the body, with a single, large, pectinate spur; without a second, smaller spur in front of the main spur in the direction of observation. 7
-- Ventral apex of hind tibia, when viewed from in front with the femur at right angle to the body, with two spurs, consisting of a large, pectinate spur and a second, smaller spur in front of the main spur in the direction of observation 15
. Ventral apex of hind tibia with a single large, pectinate spur --
7 {Plectroctena face}Mandible elongate, linear, and weakly curved, blunt apically, the inner margin with 0-2 blunt teeth; mandibular articulation associated with a marked semicircular excavation of the dorsal anterior margin of the head in front of the eyes Plectroctena
-- {Centromyrmex face}Mandible triangular to elongate-triangular and with a sharp apical tooth, the apical (masticatory) margin sometimes edentate but usually with several to many teeth; mandibular articulation not associated with a semicircular excavation of the dorsal anterior margin of the head in front of the eyes 8
8 {Cryptopone hartwigi}Basal portion of mandible with a distinct circular or near-circular pit or fovea dorsolaterally Cryptopone
-- Basal portion of mandible without a dorsolateral pit or fovea 9
9 {Psalidomyrmex gaster}Gaster in profile and in dorsal view with a distinct impression or girdling constriction between the first and second segments 10
-- {Asphinctopone gaster}Gaster in profile and in dorsal view without an impression or girdling constriction between the first and second segments Asphinctopone
10 {Psalidomyrmex face}Mandible elongate-falcate, with an extremely long apical tooth so that the tips cross over at rest. Apical (masticatory) margin edentate or crenulate; labrum prominent, in dorsal view projecting beyond the anterior clypeal margin as a striated lobe; palp formula 3,4; larger ants, total length 9-16 mm Psalidomyrmex
-- {Loboponera face}Mandibles otherwise; short and triangular, lacking an extremely long apical tooth, or, quite narrow and elongate; inner (masticatory) margin multidentate; labrum not projecting beyond clypeus as a striated lobe in dorsal view; palp formula less than 3,4 (unknown in Dolioponera); smaller ants, total length less than 6 mm 11
11 {Dolioponera face}{short description of image}Frontal lobes massive, projecting anteriorly and overlapping the clypeus 12
-- {Hypoponera spei face}Frontal lobes small, not projecting anteriorly and not overlapping the clypeus 14
12 {Loboponera gaster}Second gastral segment arched and downcurved posteriorly, the dorsum vaulted; sternite of second gastral segment with a bluntly U-shaped outline in profile, much smaller than the tergite; second gastral segment not much larger than the first. 13
-- {Dolioponera gaster}Second gastral segment barrel-shaped and longitudinal, the dorsum not vaulted, not arched and downcurved posteriorly; sternite of second gastral segment longitudinal, without a bluntly U-shaped outline in profile, only slightly smaller than the tergite; second gastral segment very much larger than the first; basal angle of mandible evenly rounded, the apical (masticatory) margin with 8 teeth Dolioponera
13 {Loboponera hedd} Basal angle of mandible angulate, the apical (masticatory) margin with fewer than 8 teeth Loboponera
-- {Boloponera head}Mandible narrow and elongated, without obtuse basal angle Boloponera
14 {Ponera coractata}Subpetiolar process in profile with a bifurcate acute angle posteroventrally and with a fenestra or translucent thin spot anteriorly
Bolton & Fisher (2011) noted that there are no reliable reports from sub-Saharan Africa.
Ponera
-- {Hypoponera spei}Subpetiolar process in profile a simple lobe, rarely with an acute posteroventral angle; most but not all lack an anterior fenestra or thin spot.
Bolton & Fisher (2011) have "posteriorly bifurcated ventral surface to the petiole sternite and the posteroventral apex of the subpetiolar process is never produced into a pair of sharp teeth that represent the apices of the bifurcation"
Hypoponera
return to couplet 10 Ventral apex of hind tibia with two spurs, consisting of a large, pectinate spur and a second, smaller spur in front of the main spur --
15 Pretarsal claws of middle and hind legs armed on the inner curvature with a tooth, either close to the midlength or near the base, or the entire inner curvature dentate to pectinate 16
-- Pretarsal claws of middle and hind legs simple, the inner curvature without a tooth medially or near the base, never dentate or pectinate 18
16 {Leptogenys face}Pretarsal claws of middle and hind legs pectinate or with 1-3 small teeth behind the apex. If only 1 preapical tooth present on claw then mandible with only 1-3 teeth and clypeus with a sharp, median longitudinal carina Leptogenys (part)
-- {Pachycondyla tarsata face}Pretarsal claws of middle and hind legs never pectinate, the claws always with only a single preapical tooth. Mandible usually with more than 3 teeth but may be edentate, in which case the clypeus without a median longitudinal carina 17
17 {Platythrea helcium}Helcium located approximately at midheight on the front of the first gastral segment so that the first gastral segment does not have a long, vertical anterior face in profile. Tibiae of middle and hind legs each with 2 pectinate spurs. Sculpture universally of fine, dense shagreening with associated larger punctures. Eyes never positioned well behind the midlength of the sides of the head Platythyrea
-- {Pachycondyla silvestrii helcium}Helcium located very low on the front of the first gastral segment so that the first gastral segment has a long, vertical anterior face in profile. Tibiae of middle and hind legs each with 1 large, pectinate spur and 1 small, simple spur. Sculpture usually not of fine, dense shagreening with associated larger punctures, but if such is present then the eyes are positioned a considerable distance behind the midlength of the sides of the head Pachycondyla (former Megaponera and Paltothyreus)
return to couplet 19 Pretarsal claws of middle and hind legs simple --
18 {Phrynoponera petiole}Petiole dorsally with a comb of 5 long spines, which curve backwards over the base of the first gastral segment Phrynoponera
-- Petiole dorsally without a comb of 5 spines 19
19 {Streblognathus aethiopicus petiole}Sides of petiole converging dorsally into a sharp, longitudinal crest, which runs the length of the segment. Posterolateral margins of petiole also sharply angulate in the dorsal half, these sharp angles meeting the dorsal crest at its posterior end. Anterior clypeal margin broadly concave, the concavity terminating at each side in a prominent angle or tooth-like projection Streblognathus
-- Petiole scale-like to nodiform but without a sharp, longitudinal crest running the length of the dorsum. Clypeus usually prominent but if shallowly concave medially then the concavity not terminating in prominent angles or teeth 20
20 {Leptogenys elegans face}Mandible armed with only 1-3 teeth (usually 2) Leptogenys (part)
-- {Pachycondyla picea face}Mandible armed with 5 or more teeth Pachycondyla (part)

Contents
©2007, 2008, 2012, 2014 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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