Bothroponera Mayr, 1862

Ama JOma & Wp MacKay, 2015, Revision of the African Ants of the Bothroponera pumicosa Species Complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae), Sociobiology 62 (4), pp. 538-563 : 540

Genus Bothroponera Mayr, 1862

Worker: Large ants, with maximum total length of 5 - 16 mm; head subquadrate in most species (excluding mandibles), suborbicular in some species, posterior border generally concave; mandibles narrowed or triangular-shaped in most species, shorter than head length with teeth number ranging from 6 to 9; anterior medial margin of clypeus convex, often sharply angled or straight to slightly concave with medial raised area; frontal lobes divided by well-developed frontal furrow; scape shorter, nearly reaches or extends slightly past posterior border of head; compound eyes vary from relatively small to large; sculpture smooth or slightly rough to punctate or foveolate; pronotal shoulder squared or rounded, but without lateral margin or carina in all species of Bothroponera ; mesonotum and propodeum poorly separated by notopropodeal groove; mesometapleural suture well developed; propodeum rounded between faces, mesonotal basalar sclerite rounded or oval-shaped, propodeal spiracle elongate or slightly ovalelongate; petiole subquadrate, rounded antero-posteriorly, usually wide with definite dorsal face; stridulatory file present on second acrotergite of gaster; hairs scarce on body and usually short; color mostly dark brown or black.

Female: Head subquadrate or suborbiculate; pronotum rounded anteriorly, pronotal shoulder lacking carina or lateral margins; scutum wide anteriorly, reaches same width as pronotum, narrowed posteriorly to same width as scutellum; metanotum slightly elevated, narrowed, well separated from propodeum and scutellum; mesopleuron divided by anapleural sulcus to form ventral katepisternum and dorsal anepisternum; mesometapleural suture well defined; mesonotal basalar sclerite oval or round shaped, propodeal spiracles elongate or subrectangular in some species; petiole rounded anteriorly, vertical with slightly concave posterior face in some species; postpetiole rounded or subquadrate anteriorly; postpetiole and remainder of gaster larger than mesosoma; short to moderately long (up to 0.40 mm) erect golden hairs scattered on dorsum of pronotum, scutum, scutellum, metanotum, propodeum, petiole and postpetiole; short (up to 0.15 mm) erect golden hairs on head; surfaces mostly brown, dark brown or black.

Male: Head excluding mandibles rounded or elongated; eyes large, cover most of side of head; scape shorter and thicker than second segment of funiculus; pronotum triangular, scutum usually with notauli; scutellum elevated, triangular in dorsal view, metanotum slightly raised between scutellum and propodeum, mesopleuron divided by anapleural sulcus into ventral katepisternum and dorsal anepisternum; dorsopropodeum gradually sloping downward posteriorly to reach insertion of petiole; petiole small, apex rounded, width and height less than those of propodeum and postpetiole; postpetiole rounded or squared anteriorly; color mostly black or dark brownish.