A synoptic review of the ants of California (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Author Ward, P. S. text Zootaxa 2005 936 1 68 journal article 39107 10.5281/zenodo.171144 7b235ee0-db22-4606-8a01-05936f594932 171144 Genus Hypoponera Santschi This is a cosmopolitan genus of small predacious ants, nesting in soil and rotten wood. Four species are known from California, of which one ( Hypoponera sp. CA­01) is apparently undescribed and not included in the keys cited below. It is similar to Hypoponera opacior (Forel) from which it can be distinguished by the orange­brown body color (usually dark brown in California H. opacior ), narrower head (CI 0.77­0.83, as opposed to 0.83­0.87 in H. opacior ), and conspicuous standing pilosity on the venter of the head (such pilosity sparse in California populations of H. opacior ). Species identification: keys in Creighton (1950a) , Wheeler and Wheeler ( 1986g ) and Mackay and Mackay (2002) . Additional references: Delabie and Blard (2002) , Duffield et al. (1976) , Foitzik et al. (2002) , Taylor (1967a) .