''Boloponera'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of small
ant
Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of ...
s in the
subfamily Ponerinae
Ponerinae is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 47 extant genera, including '' Dinoponera gigantea'' - one of the world's largest species of ant. Mated workers have replaced the queen as the ...
.
The genus contains the
single species ''Boloponera vicans'', known from a single worker specimen collected in
leaf litter
Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that have fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituent ...
in the
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...
.
It is sometimes referred to as ''Bry's Ant'' after its discoverer, Brian Fisher.
Description
The worker specimen is small (3.3 mm) and orange in color. It has linear mandibles, with two small teeth. Nothing is known about its biology, but the linear mandibles suggest that the ants are specialized predators.
References
External links
*
Endemic fauna of the Central African Republic
Ponerinae
Monotypic ant genera
Hymenoptera of Africa
{{Ponerinae-stub