Paraponera
Paraponera is a genus of ants and the only genus in the subfamily Paraponerinae. The name means "near-Ponera".
| Paraponera | |
|---|---|
| P. clavata, or bullet ant, the sole extant member of the subfamily | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Paraponerinae Emery, 1901 |
| Tribe: | Paraponerini Emery, 1901 |
| Genus: | Paraponera F. Smith, 1858 |
| Type species | |
| Formica clavata | |
| Diversity | |
| 2 species | |
It consists of two species: the extant Paraponera clavata, also known as a bullet ant, found in the Neotropics, and the very small fossil species Paraponera dieteri known from Dominican amber (Early Miocene; 16-19 million years ago). Bullet ants are so named for the pain caused by their venomous stings. The intensely painful sting is toxic to invertebrates as well as vertebrates and a major component is the neurotoxic peptide poneratoxin.
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