Indolent Ant

P. coarctata' workers are a light to dark brown, with few hairs, though the density of the hairs increase on the ant's gaster. Their eyes are very small and usually difficult to see. The queens are very similar to workers, though they are larger and bear larger and more obvious eyes. Workers measure at 3.0 – 3.5mm, queens at 4.0 – 4.5mm and males measure at 3.4 – 3.8mm. In general, the species show to be smaller in size and lighter in colour when closer to the Mediterranean when compared to samples from more northern Europe, this trait is shared with the closely related species P. pennsylvanica. The difference in colouration is thought to be due to the drier climate.

Ponera coarctata has a wide distribution, spreading across much of the palearctic realm. It covers all of Europe, though has not been recorded in Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Baltic states or Belarus. The ant is present across much of central Asia and south Russia, as well as being native to the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel. The ant is also distributed across the north Algerian and Tunisian coast and Morocco. The species has records on the east coast of the US though these records are considered dubious. The ant seems to prefer damp soil, though will nest in any warm, sheltered habitat. They have been found in open woodland, grassland, rocky ground and crumbling cliffs.