Problems of the formation of a complex of diagnostic characters that determine taxa of the subfamily Myrmeciinae are discussed. A comparative analysis of morphological data on the recent and extinct Myrmeciinae was performed. The wings of recent and Paleogene representatives of Myrmeciinae have different complexes of diagnostic characters. The wings of extinct Myrmeciinae have intermediate features of venation and demonstrate more primitive states of some characters as compared to those of recent poneromorphs.