Hypoponera punctatissima

Bolton, B. & Fisher, B. L., 2011, Taxonomy of Afrotropical and West Palaearctic ants of the ponerine genus Hypoponera Santschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 2843, pp. 1-118 : 14

punctatissima group

Species with the following combination of characters in the worker caste.

1 Metanotal groove present and strongly developed across dorsum of mesosoma; always a strongly defined deep groove that conspicuously interrupts the surface.

2 Mesonotal-mesopleural suture vestigial to absent.

3 Petiole node not squamiform.

4 Eyes present, small but always distinct and located very far forward on the side of the head.

5 Maximum width of first gastral tergite in dorsal view is distinctly less than the width of the second tergite at its midlength.

6 Cinctus of second gastral tergite smooth, without cross-ribs at its base.

7 Anterior clypeal margin lacks a median indentation or notch. Three species of this group occur in both sub-Saharan Africa and the West Palaearctic, eduardi , punctatissima

and ragusai . Another, nivariana , is restricted to the Canary Islands and a fifth species, sinuosa , has so far been found only in Guinea. There are several more nominal taxa in other regions. H. punctatissima is without doubt the most successful ponerine tramp species in the world, and both eduardi and ragusai also have recognised tramping ability.