136 
Psyche 
[September 
need careful consideration. We must consider the fact that 
Poneropsis, as defined here, contains wings all of which are at ap- 
proximately the same evolutionary grade of venational reduction 
(Brown and Nutting, 1950), and that certain genera of ants can be 
excluded from it, as they never possess such venation. Under such 
terms we are actually designating fossils more precisely by placing 
them in Poneropsis rather than considering them simply as “Formi- 
cidae incertae generis” . Moreover, and this is an important con- 
sideration, use of this parataxon allows convenient placement of such 
fossils in a single group easily referred to by those seeking examples 
of such venational types for other studies. 
I propose the following redefinition of Poneropsis. The nomencla- 
ture used for wing veins is that of Brown and Nutting (1950). 
Form-genus, Poneropsis Heer, 1867 
Hymenopterous forewings, apparently belonging to family Formi- 
cidae, and either alone or attached to fossils otherwise unclassifiable, 
and of a type not known to be associated with remains yielding more 
satisfactory placement. 
Two closed, fully separated, cubital cells (the 1st and 2nd) present. 
First discoidal cell always closed ; second discoidal open or closed. Ra- 
dial cell open or closed. The adventitious longitudinal vein Rsx, 
and the first radial cross vein (ir), or a stub of it, absent. 4 Second 
radial cross vein (2r) usually arising near the anterior base of the 
radio-medial cross vein (r-m), and always reaching the stigma at 
a point distal to the first quarter of its posterior border. 5 The sec- 
ond free abscissa of the median vein may be contracted, so that the 
posterior end of Rs + M2 lies adjacent to the anterior end of the 
(first) medio-cubital cross vein (m-cu) ; or fusion of elements in this 
area may cause the base of the former vein to lie distal to that of the 
latter. First abscissa of median vein (Mfi) lying proximal, distal, 
or adjacent to the anterior base of the cubital anal cross vein (cu-a) 
where it meets CuA. 6 
Specimens with a two-segmented petiole and Poneropsis- type wing 
4 Wings referable to primitive ponerines and myrmeciines such as Platy- 
thyrea, Myrmecia, and some Amblyoponini are, therefore, excluded, (Brown 
and Nutting, 1950; Brown, 1960). 
This clause allows distinction of Eoponera Carpenter (1929) — see Brown 
and Nutting, fig. 6. 
6 As Brown and Nutting point out, it is possible that origin of Mfl well 
proximal of cu-a is a key character identifying doryline ants. If this should 
prove to be so, the above diagnosis could be easily modified to preclude 
wings of fossil Dorylinae. 
