Polyrhachis capeyorkensis

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Polyrhachis capeyorkensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Polyrhachis
Subgenus: Hagiomyrma
Species group: schenkii
Species: P. capeyorkensis
Binomial name
Polyrhachis capeyorkensis
Kohout, 2013

Kohout 2013c-70Polyrhachis-capeyorkensis had.jpg

Nothing is known about the biology of Polyrhachis capeyorkensis.

Identification

A member of the schenkii species-group in the Polyrhachis subgenus Hagiomyrma. Polyrhachis capeyorkensis is similar to several species, but most notably to Polyrhachis lachesis, which is also a characteristic reddish-brown colour and clothed with bristle-like hairs. It differs by its generally smaller size (HL 1.65-1.90 in P. capeyorkensis versus 1.84-1.96 in P. lachesis), the form of its pronotal humeri which lack distinctly dilated, rounded prominences and the vertical carina running along the lateral margin of the posterior face of the petiole that is lacking in P. lachesis.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

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

  • capeyorkensis. Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) capeyorkensis Kohout, 2013: 554, figs. 11C-D (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. 7.31, 6.50-7.81; HL 1.78, 1.65- 1.90; HW 1.47, 1.31-1.59; CI 82, 78-84; SL 2.03, 1.89-2.12; SI 138, 131-149; PW 1.31, 1.12-1.37; MW 0.75, 0.64-0.78; PMI 175, 175-184; MTL 2.40, 2.18-2.50 (16 measured).

Anterior clypeal margin with denticulate flange medially, flanked by acute denticles. Clypeus with distinctly raised median carina; sinuate in profile; basal magin moderately impressed. Frontal triangle distinct. Frontal carinae sinuate with weakly raised margins; central area rather flat with distinct frontal furrow. Sides of head in front of eyes only weakly convex, rounding into mandibular bases; behind eyes, sides widely rounding into convex occipital border. Eyes marginally exceeding lateral cephalic outline in full face view. Ocelli lacking. Pronotal humeri narrowly rounded with weakly raised margins. Promesonotal dorsum with lateral margins converging posteriorly into medially indistinct metanotal groove. Propodeal dorsum with margins weakly divergent, terminating in horizontal, subparallel, acute spines. Petiole with anterior face straight, posterior face convex, laterally bordered with distinct carina; dorsum with shallow notch medially, armed laterally with pair of divergent, weakly downturned, acute spines. Anterior face of first gastral segment higher than full height of petiole, straight, widely rounding onto dorsum.

Mandibles very finely longitudinally striate. Head and mesosoma very closely reticulate-punctate. Petiole and gaster finely shagreened, rather smooth and polished.

Mandibles with medium length, curved hairs at masticatory borders and shorter hairs along outer borders. Anterior clypeal margin with a few longer setae medially and fringe of shorter setae lining margin laterally. Short to medium length, erect, bristle-like hairs abundant over whole body, including appendages, with distinctly longer, more posteriorly directed hairs on gaster. Rather untidy, relatively long, appressed and semierect pubescence variously distributed over most body surfaces, more abundant and somewhat medially radiating on dorsum of gaster, where it forms a poorly defined midline.

Relatively dark, reddish-brown or rusty red with mandibles, clypeus, central area, anterior portion of pronotum, gaster and appendages distinctly lighter.

Type Material

  • Holotype, worker, Cape York Pen., Embley Ra. (Nth end), Rock Slab Hill, Queensland, Australia, 24.x.1958, J.L. Wassell, J.L. Wassell #381, Australian National Insect Collection.
  • Paratype, 5 workers, Cape York Pen., Embley Ra. (Nth end), Rock Slab Hill, Queensland, Australia, 24.x.1958, J.L. Wassell, J.L. Wassell #381, Australian National Insect Collection.
  • Paratype, 4 workers, Cape York Pen., Embley Ra. (Nth end), Rock Slab Hill, Queensland, Australia, 24.x.1958, J.L. Wassell, J.L. Wassell #381, Queensland Museum.
  • Paratype, 2 workers, Cape York Pen., Embley Ra. (Nth end), Rock Slab Hill, Queensland, Australia, 24.x.1958, J.L. Wassell, J.L. Wassell #381, The Natural History Museum.
  • Paratype, 2 workers, Cape York Pen., Embley Ra. (Nth end), Rock Slab Hill, Queensland, Australia, 24.x.1958, J.L. Wassell, J.L. Wassell #381, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
  • Paratype, 2 workers, Cape York Pen., Embley Ra. (Nth end), Rock Slab Hill, Queensland, Australia, 24.x.1958, J.L. Wassell, J.L. Wassell #381, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève.

Etymology

After the type locality Cape York Peninsula in Queensland.

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: 487–577