Subfamily Ponerinae Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835 .

Type genus. Ponera Latreille, 1804 .

Male diagnosis. Males of Ponerinae are best identified at the tribal level as there are as yet no clear male-based synapomorphies for the subfamily. Male Ponerinae share the following key diagnostic plesiomorphies: (1) wing venation complete or nearly complete, with at least four closed cells present; (2) petiole without tergosternal fusion; (3) abdominal segment III not petiolated; and (4) abdominal sternum IX without prongs or teeth.

Remarks. The diagnosis provided for Ponerinae above and Platythyreini and Ponerini below collectively represent a revision of the global diagnosis for the subfamily of Boudinot [42]. Male Ponerinae have previously been diagnosed for the Malagasy region [47] and Japan [48, 49]. No single character has been discovered yet that uniquely identifies all male Ponerinae . Presence of posterolateral processes on the petiolar sternum which contact the outer margins of the helcial tergite, recognized as a ponerine synapomorphy for the female castes [46], are either poorly developed in males or obscured by the petiolar tergite, thus necessitating focused study. Notably, whereas female Ponerinae display a high degree of specialization with respect to mandibular and leg characters, these are universally lacking in the conspecific male.