Diet

• Predatory, feeding primarily on termites, ants, beetles, caterpillars, cockroaches, spiders, centipedes, and other arthropods.

• Workers also scavenge dead insects and occasionally feed on nectar, honeydew, and fruit juices.

• Most species hunt alone, relying on their powerful mandibles and venomous sting to capture prey.

Range

• The genus Neoponera is distributed from Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean, and much of South America, extending to northern Argentina.

• Numerous species occur throughout Mexico, including the Pacific coast of Guerrero and the Zihuatanejo region.

• Greatest diversity occurs in tropical and subtropical forests.

Habitat

• Inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical rainforests, mangroves, secondary forests, woodland edges, and plantations.

• Nests in soil, beneath rocks, inside rotting logs, under loose bark, in hollow branches, and tree cavities.

• Most species forage individually on the forest floor, although some are partly arboreal.

Size

• Worker length: 6–18 mm (0.24–0.71 in), depending on the species.

• Queen length: 12–20 mm (0.47–0.79 in).

• Colonies are generally small, containing 50–1,000 workers.