Threat Level: Low

Hypoponera punctatissima occurs widely across the Pacific Island region, but is mostly limited to forested habitat where it nests and forages in and around rotting logs, soil and leaf litter. The species is almost entirely blind, and is not often encountered foraging out in the open, nor is it known to recruit to food baits. Although Hypoponera punctatissima is considered an introduced species, it is not commonly regarded as a pest species, and little is known about the effects the species has on native biological diversity.

Hypoponera is diverse and taxonomically challenging genus. There are many native species in the Pacific Island region, and there may be additional introduced species that are not included in PIAkey. Users are advised to closely examine the photographs presented here and on Antweb before assigning a species determination.

There are several species included in PIAkey that bear close resemblance to H. punctatissima. Hypoponera opaciceps has longer antennal scapes that reach or exceed the posterior margin of the head, and the antennal scapes of H. punctatissima do not reach the posterior margin of the head . The only other species in PIAkey likely to be confused for H. opaciceps is Pachycondyla stigma, which is a larger species with only five mandibular teeth and more enlarged frontal lobes .

Waist with one segment (petiole)
Gaster armed with sting
Frontal lobes present Frontal lobes relatively narrow
Mandibles triangular, with many teeth of different sizes
Hind tibia with pectinate spur present and simple spur absent
Antennal scape not reaching or exceeding posterior margin of head

	H. punctatissima	H. opaciceps	P. stigma
Head
Profile
Mandibles	with more than five teeth of different sizes	with more than five teeth of different sizes	with five teeth of approximately equal size
Frontal lobes	narrow	narrow	broad
Hind tibia	with only pectinate spur	with only pectinate spur	with pectinate and simple spur
Antennal scapes	not reaching or exceeding posterior margin of head	reaching or exceeding posterior margin of head	reaching or exceeding posterior margin of head
	H. punctatissima	H. opaciceps	P. stigma

• Antweb: specimen images, data & maps
  
  
• Bolton, B. (1995) A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 504 pp.
  
  
• Wilson, E.O. & Taylor, R.W. (1967) The ants of Polynesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pacific Insects Monograph, 14, 1-109.