.jpg){kind=logo}
Polyrhachis darlingtoni
| Polyrhachis darlingtoni | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Polyrhachis |
| Subgenus: | Hagiomyrma |
| Species group: | trapezoidea |
| Species: | P. darlingtoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Polyrhachis darlingtoni Kohout, 2013
| |
Polyrhachis darlingtoni is only known from two closely situated localities in the McIlwraith Range, along Leo Creek Road and at Lankelly Creek, near Coen on Cape York Peninsula.
Identification
A member of the trapezoidea species-group in the Polyrhachis subgenus Hagiomyrma. Kohout (2013) - Polyrhachis darlingtoni is easily identified by its low petiole with a strongly posteriorly descending, triangular dorsum and the bases of its rather short spines situated well below its widely rounded summit (Fig. 13B). The petiolar node of P. darlingtoni resembles that of Polyrhachis nourlangie, however in the latter species the petiolar dorsum is flat, laterally marginate, with the margins terminating in the bases of short, curved spines on the petiolar summit (Fig. 13D). The species also differ in their size, with P. darlingtoni consistently larger (HL 2.59-2.67 versus 1.62-2.09 in P. nourlangie), and in the colour of their pubescence which, in P. nourlangie is uniformly golden, lacking the brassy and reddish hues of P. darlingtoni.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -13.71666667° to -13.76666667°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia (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 unknown. Immature stages (larva and eggs) in QM spirit collection.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- darlingtoni. Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) darlingtoni Kohout, 2013: 565, figs. 13A-B (w.) AUSTRALIA.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
(holotype cited first): TL c. 11.79, 10.50-11.79; HL 2.68, 2.52-2.68; HW 1.90, 1.79-1.96; CI 71, 71-73; SL 3.58, 3.28- 3.58; SI 188, 180-189; PW 1.56, 1.46-1.66; MW 1.09, 1.06-1.16; PMI 143, 142-152); MTL 4.33, 4.08-4.43 (9 measured).
Mandibles with 5 teeth, progressively reducing in length towards base. Anterior clypeal margin with median, shallowly emarginate, bluntly denticulate flange, laterally flanked by rather obtuse angles. Clypeus with median longitudinal carina; distinctly sinuate in profile, posteriorly rounding into impressed basal margin. Frontal carinae sinuate with moderately raised margins; central area with rather flat frontal furrow. Sides of head in front of eyes converging towards mandibular bases in very weakly convex line; behind eyes, sides rounding into occipital margin. Eyes convex, in full face view marginally breaking lateral cephalic outline. Ocelli lacking, positions indicated in some specimens by shallow pits in cephalic sculpture. Pronotal humeri narrowly rounded; dorsum almost quadrate with lateral margins very weakly converging anteriorly in some specimens and somewhat irregularly notched before their midlength; promesonotal suture deeply impressed. Mesonotum with lateral margins converging posteriorly towards distinct metanotal groove. Propodeal dorsum with lateral margins terminating in subparallel, somewhat sinuate, acute spines. Petiolar node markedly broad and low in lateral view, with anterior face rounding onto flat, strongly posteriorly descending triangular dorsum; spines very short, weakly divergent, bases situated well below apex of dorsal convexity. Anterior face of first gastral segment widely rounding onto dorsum.
Mandibles finely longitudinally striate with numerous piliferous pits. Head and mesosoma finely reticulate-punctate, vertex of head and pronotal dorsum somewhat polished, mesonotum and propodeum opaque; tips of spines highly polished. Gaster shagreened.
Mandibles with numerous, semierect, curved, golden hairs. Medium length, erect hairs on clypeus, along frontal carinae and on vertex, numerous erect hairs fringing outline of head in full face view. Long, erect or semierect, rather abundant, golden hairs on dorsum of mesosoma, coxae, venter of femora, petiole and gaster, most hairs as long as greatest diameter of eyes. Silvery appressed pubescence in various densities over most body surfaces, except vertex of head and pronotal dorsum where it is golden and sporadic; distinctly medially radiated pubescence with brassy tint abundant on mesonotal dorsum. Gastral dorsum with pubescence virtually hiding underlying sculpturation, golden with reddish hue along midline, silvery on sides and venter of gaster.
Black throughout with only mandibular teeth and condylae dark reddish-brown.
Type Material
- Holotype, worker, Cape York Pen., McIlwraith Ra., 28 km NNE of Coen, Queensland, 400 m, Australia, 13°43′0″S 143°19′0″E / 13.716667°S 143.316667°E, 25.viii.2004, P.S. Ward, P.S. Ward #15330, Australian National Insect Collection; Araucaria forest, under stone.
- Paratype, 11 workers, Cape York Pen., McIlwraith Ra., 28 km NNE of Coen, Queensland, 400 m, Australia, 13°43′0″S 143°19′0″E / 13.716667°S 143.316667°E, 25.viii.2004, P.S. Ward, P.S. Ward #15330; Araucaria forest, under stone.
- Paratype, 9 workers, Cape York Pen., McIlwraith Ra., 28 km NNE of Coen, Queensland, c. 395 m, Australia, 13°46′0″S 143°19′0″E / 13.766667°S 143.316667°E, 24.vii.1977, R.W. Taylor, R.W. Taylor acc. 77.576; low mixed forest.
- Paratype, 9 workers, Cape York Pen., McIlwraith Ra., Lankelly Ck, Queensland, Australia, 13°46′0″S 143°19′0″E / 13.766667°S 143.316667°E, vi.1932, P.J. Darlington, Aust. Harvard Exp..
Type deposition: Holotype and 6 paratypes in Australian National Insect Collection; 4 paratypes each in Museum of Comparative Zoology and Queensland Museum, 2 paratypes each in American Museum of Natural History, The Natural History Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève and NMNH.
Etymology
Named in honour of the late Philip J. Darlington, former professor at Harvard University, Cambridge and eminent entomologist and biogeographer, who collected many Polyrhachis species and other insects during the 1932 and 1956- 1958 Australia Harvard Expeditions.
References
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Kohout R.J. 2013. Revision of Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) Wheeler, 1911 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum Nature 56: 487577