Ponerine ants (Ponerinae) are a diverse, conspicuous and ecologically important component of tropical forest ecosystems. With nearly 1,000 described species worldwide, the Ponerinae is the third-largest ant subfamily. Ponerines combine a suite of traits considered ancestral within ants (e.g. small colony sizes, solitary predaceous foraging, poor queen-worker morphological differentiation, lack of oral trophallaxis, and use of a venomous sting in prey capture) with a great diversity of derived morphological, ecological and behavioral traits (including some often bizarre social systems).

The Rough Guide to Ponerine Ants is designed to be a central repository of information on these intriguing ants. Because the Ponerinae is a large group, I will be building this site incrementally and beg for your patience in the meantime!