Heteroponera Mayr Reinstated

Brown, W. L., 1952, Heteroponera Mayr reinstated (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Psyche 59, pp. 70-70 : 70

Heteroponera Mayr Reinstated (Hymenoptera: Formicidae ).

- Heteroponera Mayr (1887, Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, 37: 533) has remained suppressed as a synonym of Acanthoponera Mayr for many years. Wheeler (1923, loc. cit.) has shown, however that Acanthoponera can be split into two groups; one group { Acanthoponera s. str.) having the tarsal claws with an extra, strong tooth and a basal lobe (or tooth), while the second group (Anacanthoponera Wheeler) has the tarsal claws at most with a single, weak median tooth. In this second group, Wheeler included Heteroponera carinifrons Mayr , and since Heteroponera , with the genotype H. carinifrons , has precedence, it must be reinstated as a good genus. Anacanthoponera Wheeler (1923, Psyche, 30: 176, as a subgenus of Acanthoponera ) is a new synonym of Heteroponera , since the genotype, Ponera dolo Roger , is congeneric with H. carinifrons .

Acanthoponera is neotropical, and has well developed propodeal teeth and the petiolar apex produced as a long tooth or spine; Kusnezov (in litt.) finds A. mucronata to have 6, 4 palpal segmentation. Heteroponera is neotropical and Australasian, and the propodeal teeth and dentiform petiolar apex are absent or feebly developed; H. imbellis Emery has 3, 3 palpal segmentation (my dissection). Until more species can be critically examined, Acanthoponera and Heteroponera should be considered as distinct genera. Acanthoponera appears to be the most generalized living member of the Ectatommini , and is probably close to the stem from which the proceratiines, the myrmicines and Paraponera arose. - W. L. Brown, Jr., Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.