Ponera is a genus of ponerine ants. The name is the Latinized form (Ponēra) of the Ancient Greek (πονηρά, 'wicked, wretched').

Description

Workers are very small to small in size (1–4 mm); queen are similar to workers but winged. This genus is very similar to Cryptopone, Hypoponera and Pachycondyla.

Biology

Ponera nests contain less than 100 workers in protected places on the ground, most often in the soil or in cracks, rotten wood, under bark or moss on rotten logs.

Distribution

Ponera is known from the Holarctic, Samoa, New Guinea and Australia.

Species