[2] The name means "near-Ponera".

[3] It consists of two species: the extant Paraponera clavata, also known as a bullet ant, found in the Neotropics, and the very small[4] fossil species Paraponera dieteri known from Dominican amber (Early Miocene; 16-19 million years ago).

[5] Bullet ants are so named for the pain caused by their venomous stings.

The intensely painful sting is toxic to invertebrates as well as vertebrates and a major component is the neurotoxic peptide poneratoxin.

This ant-related article is a stub.