Alternative-reproductive-strategies
Guides
Hypoponera opacior
Common Crypt Ant, ponerine ant
Hypoponera opacior is a small ponerine ant known for its unusual wing polymorphism in both sexes. Unlike most ant species, it produces both winged and wingless morphs in males and queens, with each morph associated with distinct reproductive behaviors and seasonal timing. The species has been extensively studied for its genetic architecture, which notably lacks the supergene-linked determination found in many other ants with similar reproductive polymorphisms. Males are particularly distinctive, appearing worker-like and wingless in some morphs, with translucent heads that cause frequent misidentification as wasps or braconid parasitoids.