<i>Neoponera</i> Emery, 1901 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Revisited: The <i>N. foetida </i>and <i>N.</i> <i>emiliae </i>Species-Groups
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Neotropical ants of the genus Neoponera are best known for their diverse behavior and external morphology. Seven species-groups are currently recognized: aenescens, apicalis, crenata, emiliae, foetida, laevigata, and rostrata. The apicalis group was taxonomically treated by Wild in 2005, the foetida group was partially revised by Fernandes et al. in 2014, the laevigata group was revised by Troya and Lattke in 2022, and as part of the genus Pachycondyla, W. and E. Mackay reviewed Neoponera in 2010. An ongoing, deeper revision of all known species in the genus is revealing new taxa and taxonomic issues, undescribed castes, and previously unknown locality records some of which represent new populational variants which probably are new species. Together, these still unpublished novelties demonstrate the necessity of reviving the work with this fantastic ponerine genus. In the present contribution we revise all known species in the foetida and emiliae groups, provide new diagnoses and update their distribution. Among the results, the following taxa are described as new: N. prasiosomis sp. nov. (Panama and Ecuador) belonging to the foetida group, and N. caxiuana sp. nov. (Colombia and Brazil), N. dorsilinea sp. nov. (eastern Brazil), N. dropsy sp. nov. (eastern Brazil), and N. glabra sp. nov. (eastern Brazil), belonging to the emiliae group. Neoponera bactronica Fernandes et al. syn. nov. and N. billemma Fernandes et al. syn. nov. are synonymized under N. curvinodis Forel; we propose a neotype for this latter which coupled with comprehensive comments about comparative anatomy, facilitate the distinction of this morphologically highly variable taxon from closely related taxa. In addition, we construct new user friendly, fully illustrated taxonomic keys, and describe the first male of the emiliae group. This is the third contribution towards gleaming the taxonomy, systematics and distribution of Neoponera.