Polyrhachis busiris

Polyrhachis busiris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Polyrhachis
Subgenus:	Cyrtomyrma
Species:	P. busiris
Binomial name
	Polyrhachis busiris; Smith, F., 1860 Specimen labels

Known from its type material, nothing is known about the biology of Polyrhachis busiris.

Identification

Kohout (2009) - Polyrhachis busiris is similar to a number of New Guinean species that also feature distinctly angular or toothed pronotal humeri and a propodeal dorsum armed with spines, teeth or tuberculae.

Keys including this Species

Key to Papuasian Polyrhachis Cyrtomyrma species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -0.616667° to -0.616667°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Biology

Castes

Sexuals and immature stages unknown.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

busiris. Polyrhachis busiris Smith, F. 1860b: 98, pl. 1, fig. 15 (w.) NEW GUINEA. Junior synonym of rastellata: Mayr, 1862: 688; Roger, 1863b: 6. Revived from synonymy: Kohout, 2009b: 42.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Kohout (2009) - (lectotype cited first): TL c. 6.80, 6.40-7.06; HL 1.78, 1.65-1.78; HW 1.84, 1.62-1.84; CI 103, 96-103; SL 2.15, 2.00-2.15; SI 117, 117-123; PW 1.43, 1.31-1.43; MTL 2.59, 2.43-2.62 (19 measured).

Head, excluding mandibles, about as long as wide. Mandibles with five teeth, apical tooth largest with subsequent teeth reducing in length towards base. Anterior clypeal margin with central truncate flange, shallowly notched medially and flanked laterally by acute denticles. Clypeus in profile weakly convex with basal margin moderately impressed. Frontal triangle poorly indicated. Frontal carinae sinuate with only weakly raised margins; frontal furrow shallowly impressed. Sides of head in front of eyes strongly converging towards mandibular bases; behind eyes widely rounding into weakly convex occipital margin. Eyes moderately convex; in full face view not or just touching lateral cephalic outline. Ocelli lacking. Pronotum in dorsal view distinctly transverse with humeri angular or toothed. Mesosoma in profile more-or-less evenly convex; promesonotal suture distinct, metanotal groove lacking. Propodeum armed with distinct tuberculae or short teeth; declivity oblique. Petiole with anterior face straight, posterior face convex; dorsum armed with four, subequal, acute spines. Anterior face of first gastral segment lower than full height of petiole, widely rounding onto dorsum of segment.

Mandibles very finely and closely, mostly longitudinally, striate. Head, mesosoma and gaster finely shagreened. Intensity of sculpturation increasing laterally with sides of mesosoma distinctly reticulate and meso- and metapleurae rather strongly reticulate-rugose. Petiole finely, mostly transversely, reticulate dorsally, becoming reticulate-rugose around base. Mandibles with numerous straight or weakly curved golden hairs arising near masticatory borders and numerous very short appressed hairs towards mandibular bases. Anterior clypeal margin with a few long, anteriorly directed, golden setae and several short setae fringing margin laterally. A few pairs of medium length, erect hairs arising near anterior and basal clypeal margins, along frontal carinae and on vertex. Several medium to long, mostly erect or somewhat curved hairs on front coxae, ventral surfaces of trochanters and apical segments of gaster. Tuft of a few semierect hairs on summit of mesonotum, with longest hairs reaching about half of greatest diameter of eye in length. Very short, closely appressed pubescence in various densities over most body surfaces.

Black throughout; joints of trochanters and femora and distal half of tibiae in modern specimens medium to dark reddish-brown.

Type Material

Kohout (2009) - Syntype workers (2). Original localities: New Guinea, Dory(= Irian Jaya, Manokwari) (A. R. Wallace); Indonesia, Batjan I. (A. R. Wallace), Oxford University Museum of Natural History (examined).

Lectotype designation. Both syntypes of P. busiris are card mounted and in relatively good condition. In addition to The Natural History Museum blue disc 'Syntype' tags, they are both furnished with Hope Department, Oxford labels inscribed “Polyrachis (sic) busiris Smith”, one with 1179 1/2 and the other with 1179 2/2. The latter specimen also bears a round, white disc inscribed 'Dor.' (=Dory) and an apparently original, handwritten label inscribed “Polyrhachis Busiris Smith”. Its petiole matches the figure given in the original article (Smith 1860: pl. 1, fig. 15) and, in order to maintain nomenclatural stability and preserve current usage, this specimen is here designated the lectotype of P. busiris Fr. Smith. The other specimen, which bears a rmmd disc inscribed 'Bac.' (= Bachian; = Batjan 1.), is deemed a paralectotype. This is the specimen that was apparently examined by Donisthorpe and furnished with two additional labels referring to the citation of this species in his paper on Smith's types (Donisthorpe 1932: 460). However, closer examination reveals that the paralectotype is not conspecific with the lectotype. It clearly represents a different species that is very similar to Polyrhachis fornicata Emery (see Kohout 2008) and most likely represents a Moluccan population of that species.

References

Kohout, R.J. 2009b. A new species and nomenclatural changes in the subgenus Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) Forel. Australian Entomologist. 36:37-48.
Mayr, G. 1862. Myrmecologische Studien. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 12: 649-776 (page 688, Junior synonym of rastellata)
Roger, J. 1863b. Verzeichniss der Formiciden-Gattungen und Arten. Berl. Entomol. Z. 7(B Beilage: 1-65 (page 6, Junior synonym of rastellata)
Smith, F. 1860b. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the islands of Bachian, Kaisaa, Amboyna, Gilolo, and at Dory in New Guinea. J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. Zool. 5(17b)(suppl. to vol. 4 4: 93-143 (page 98, pl. 1, fig. 15 worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
Kohout R. J. 2009. A new species and nomenclatural changes in the subgenus Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) Forel. Australian Entomologist 36: 37-48
Smith F. 1861. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the islands of Ceram, Celebes, Ternate, and Gilolo. [part]. Journal and Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. Zoology 6: 36-48.
Smith F. 1863. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the islands of Mysol, Ceram, Waigiou, Bouru and Timor. Journal and Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. Zoology 7: 6-48.
Smith, Fr. "Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the Islands of Bachian, Kaisaa, Amboyna, Gilolo, and at Dory in New Guinea." Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 5 (1860): 93-143.