Bothroponera

Bothroponera is a moderately large genus, with more than 50 described species and subspecies. Bothroponera (sensu stricto) is restricted to Africa and Madagascar, while the B. sulcata species group ranges from Africa to the Philippines. Relatively little is known about ''Bothroponera" ecology and behavior.

Identification
Joma & Mackay (2013) - The genus is characterized by the narrowed, convex, and medially raised clypeus. The mandibles are triangular or narrowed with 6–9 teeth. The frontal lobes are rounded or semioval, divided by a well-developed frontal furrow. The pronotum of the worker lacks any evidence of a carina or shelf. The mesonotum is completely fused with the propodeum, and the notopropodeal suture is completely absent. The petiole is thick with a developed ventral process. The mesopleuron is not divided by an anapleural suture and is well separated from the metapleuron by the mesometapleural suture.

Schmidt and Shattuck (2014) - Bothroponera workers lack any obvious autapomorphies within the Ponerinae, and are therefore more difficult to diagnose than those of most ponerine genera. They can generally be distinguished by the following combination of characters: Body without a long dense golden pilosity, mesopleuron usually not divided by a transverse groove, metanotal groove obsolete, propodeal dorsum without spines or teeth, propodeal spiracles slit-shaped, petiole nodiform (and not semicircular in top view) and without posterodorsal spines or teeth, tergite of A3 without strong longitudinal striations, gaster with a strong constriction between A3 and A4, and metatibiae with two spurs. Species of Bothroponera (s.s.) also have strong sculpturing, large cordate frontal lobes, a broad propodeal dorsum, and a U-shaped cuticular lip posterior to the metapleural gland orifice, though members of the B. sulcata group lack these characters. Superficially, Bothroponera workers most closely resemble those of Phrynoponera and Pseudoneoponera, but they lack the bispinose propodeum, five-spined petiole, and unconstricted gaster of Phrynoponera and the shaggy pilosity, semicircular petiole, and longitudinally striate tergite A3 of Pseudoneoponera. Bothroponera can also be confused with Ectomomyrmex, though Bothroponera lacks the small eyes, angular sides of the head, divided mesopleuron (except in a few species), and weakly constricted gaster of Ectomomyrmex, and Asian Bothroponera species lack the strong sculpturing of Ectomomyrmex. The workers of Bothroponera (s.s.) also somewhat resemble the workers of Loboponera and Boloponera, given their stocky build, coarse sculpturing, large frontal lobes, obsolete mesopropodeal suture, broad propodeal dorsum, and nodiform petioles, but are readily separated from these genera by their metatibial spur formulae (two spurs versus one), propodeal spiracles (slit-shaped versus round), and metapleural gland orifice (opening posterolaterally versus laterally), among other characters.

Species richness
Species richness by country based on regional taxon lists (countries with darker colours are more species-rich). View Data



Nomenclature

 * '' BOTHROPONERA [Ponerinae: Ponerini]
 * Bothroponera Mayr, 1862: 717. Type-species: Ponera pumicosa, by subsequent designation of Emery, 1901a: 42.
 * Bothroponera as subgenus of Ponera: Emery, 1895j: 767.
 * Bothroponera as subgenus of Pachycondyla: Emery, 1901a: 42.
 * Bothroponera revived status as genus: Wheeler, W.M. 1918c: 299 (footnote).
 * Bothroponera junior synonym of Pachycondyla: Snelling, R.R. 1981: 389; Hölldobler & Wilson, 1990: 11; Brown, in Bolton, 1994: 164.
 * Bothroponera revived from synonymy: Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014: 72.

Worker
Schmidt and Shattuck (2014) - Medium to large (TL 5.5–16 mm) slender to robust ants with the standard characters of Ponerini. Mandibles triangular, usually with a faint basal groove. Frontal lobes either moderately large (B. sulcata group) or very large and cordate (Bothroponera s.s.). Eyes of moderate size and placed anterior of head midline. Mesopleuron usually not divided by a transverse groove. Metanotal groove obsolete dorsally. Propodeum broad dorsally. Propodeal spiracles slit-shaped. Distinct pale glandular patch on posterior surface of metatibia, close to spur, present (B. sulcata group) or absent (Bothroponera s.s.). Metatibial spur formula (1s, 1p). Petiole nodiform, widening posteriorly in dorsal view, with vertical anterior and posterior faces. Girdling constriction between pre- and postsclerites of A4 apparent. Stridulitrum either present (Bothroponera s.s.) or absent (B. sulcata group) on pretergite of A4. Head and body either coarsely sculptured with abundant pilosity and moderate pubescence (most Bothroponera s.s.; Bothroponera laevissima is shiny, with only weak sculpturing and sparse pilosity) or finely punctate with scattered pilosity and dense pubescence (B. sulcata group). Color dark brown to black.

Queen
Schmidt and Shattuck (2014) - Similar to the worker but slightly larger, winged and with ocelli (Wheeler, 1922b). Queens are absent in Bothroponera kruegeri, in which reproduction is performed by gamergate workers.