Subfamily Ponerinae Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835
Compiler and date details
S.O. Shattuck, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Introduction
Ponerine species range from small and cryptic to large and conspicuous. They are found throughout Australia from pristine habitats to disturbed sites such as gardens and parks, and can be quite abundant. Workers are predacious, generally forage on the ground, and some specialise on a very limited range of prey. In addition, many species have powerful and painful stings used for subduing prey and as a defensive measure against intruders.
There are about 2000 described species and subspecies in the subfamily Ponerinae, placed in 42 genera. Within Australia there are about 200 described species in 22 genera, with one genus and numerous species yet to be studied in detail.