Genus Ponera

Ponera pennsylvanica Buckley (Ponerinae: Ponera Latreille)

Images:
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Profile view of a worker, alate female reproductive, and alate male reproductive. Full face view of alate female reproductive and alate male reproductive.

Genus Ponera Latreille alisana Terayama, 1986: 591; - Chou & Terayama, 1991: 77; - Bolton, 1995: 360. ™¸®O§siwVD
chiponensis Terayama, 1986: 593; - Chou & Terayama, 1991: 77; - Bolton, 1995: 360. ™æ•ªiwVD

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Diagnostic characters: This species is very timid and moves in a characteristic serpentine fashion. The fenestra (small nearly circular "window" through which light passes) on the ventral surface of the petiole is characteristic of the genus.

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Key(s) used: (Wheeler and Wheeler 1963, 1977)

Comments: This species is the only Ponerine that we found. It was fairly abundant in every habitat we surveyed. We nearly always found this species in close association with a variety of other ant species (in fact we often discovered the fairly cryptic Ponera while observing another species' nest). Perhaps this species preys upon other ant's eggs and larvae like the thief ant Solenopsis molesta.