One of the largest Neotropical ants; workers 18–30 mm long, robust, dark reddish-brown to black, with large mandibles, a single erect petiolar node, and no worker polymorphism. Queens only slightly larger than workers and winged until mating. Cuticle matte; abdominal stridulatory file present and used in alarm. Antennae geniculate; eyes moderate. Colonies nest at the base of trees or lianas and workers forage up tree trunks into the canopy, often carrying nectar between the mandibles. Famous for an extremely painful sting caused by the peptide poneratoxin.
Yes (subtle). Queens are slightly larger and winged pre-mating; workers monomorphic; males alate and short-lived.
Workers 18–30 mm; queens ~20–30 mm
0.3gr
queens live multi-year in congeners, but specific data lacking
queens live multi-year in congeners, but specific data lacking
Alate adults mature after nuptial flight
Alate adults mature after nuptial fligh
Monogynous colonies of several hundred to a few thousand workers
One of the largest Neotropical ants; workers 18–30 mm long, robust, dark reddish-brown to black, with large mandibles, a single erect petiolar node, and no worker polymorphism. Queens only slightly larger than workers and winged until mating. Cuticle matte; abdominal stridulatory file present and used in alarm. Antennae geniculate; eyes moderate. Colonies nest at the base of trees or lianas and workers forage up tree trunks into the canopy, often carrying nectar between the mandibles. Famous for an extremely painful sting caused by the peptide poneratoxin.
Humid lowland to foothill rainforest; nests in soil at bases of trees/lianas that give access to the canopy. Most foraging occurs arboreally above the nest; little on the forest floor. Recorded mainly 0–750 m, with occasional records to ~1 500 m (La Amistad).
Humid lowland to foothill rainforest; nests in soil at bases of trees/lianas that give access to the canopy. Most foraging occurs arboreally above the nest; little on the forest floor. Recorded mainly 0–750 m, with occasional records to ~1 500 m (La Amistad).
Delivers a Schmidt pain index 4.0+ sting—among the world’s most painful.
Venom poneratoxin is a Na⁺-channel modulator under study for bio-insecticides/biomedicine.
Often recruits en masse to nectar sources via pheromone trails.
Preys on the glasswing butterfly (Greta oto), whose larvae are chemically defended.
Only living species in subfamily Paraponerinae; fossil relative known from Dominican amber.
