Polyrhachis conspicua

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Polyrhachis conspicua
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Polyrhachis
Subgenus: Cyrtomyrma
Species: P. conspicua
Binomial name
Polyrhachis conspicua
Kohout, 2006

Polyrhachis conspicua casent0903395 p 1 high.jpg

Polyrhachis conspicua casent0903395 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Polyrhachis conspicua.

Identification

Polyrhachis conspicua is a spectacular species and is similar to Polyrhachis inflata. Both share the exceptionally high, narrowly convex pronotum, which features a short, longitudinal furrow along its summit. However, they differ in size (HL 1.47-1.68 in Polyrhachis conspicua versus 1.68-1.81 in Polyrhachis inflata) and in general body sculpturation that is smooth and polished in Polyrhachis conspicua and closely reticulate-punctate and opaque in Polyrhachis inflata. (Kohout 2006)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Polyrhachis conspicua occurs in Irian Jaya, Papua New Guinea and the adjacent Biak Island. (Kohout 2006)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea (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 workers.

Nomenclature

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

  • conspicua. Polyrhachis conspicua Kohout, 2006b: 123, figs. 8E-F (w.) NEW GUINEA.

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

Description

Worker

Dimensions (holotype cited first): TL c. 6.00, 5.49-6.65; HL 1.59, 1.47-1.69; HW 1.53, 1.43-1.57; CI 96, 93-99; SL 1.90, 1.72-2.06; SI 124, 120-131; PW 1.15, 1.06-1.31; MTL 2.28, 1.93-2.34 (6 measured).

Clypeus in profile very weakly convex or almost straight in some specimens, narrowly rounding posteriorly into weakly medially impressed basal margin. Frontal triangle weakly impressed. Frontal carinae sinuate with very weakly raised margins; central area rather flat with frontal furrow weakly indicated for most of its length. Sides of head in front of eyes only weakly convex, almost straight, strongly converging towards mandibular bases; behind eyes sides rounding into convex occipital margin. Eyes moderately convex, clearly breaking lateral cephalic outline in full face view. Ocelli lacking, relative positions indicated by shallow punctures in sculpturation. Pronotum in dorsal view with humeri rounded. Mesosoma in profile with pronotum very strongly convex, very high, anterior face vertical; summit narrow with short, median, longitudinal furrow; promesonotal suture moderately impressed; mesonotal dorsum weakly convex; metanotal groove lacking, its position indicated by depression in mesosomal outline; propodeal dorsum descending in shallow curve into oblique declivity. Petiole with anterior face straight, posterior face convex; dorsum armed with four, acute, subequal spines; dorsal pair situated closer to each other than to lateral spines, tips slightly bent backwards. Subpetiolar process acute anteriorly, bluntly angular posteriorly. Anterior face of first gastral segment marginally lower than apices of dorsal petiolar spines.

Mandibles very finely, mostly longitudinally rugose. Head, mesosoma and gaster finely shagreened, rather polished; pronotal sculpturation becoming laterally reticulate; lower sides of mesosoma, notably meso- and metapleurae rather strongly reticulate-rugose. Petiole with anterior face finely reticulate, sculpturation more distinct on sides. Dorsal surfaces of head, mesosoma and gaster with piliferous pits and shallow punctures of various densities.

Mandibles with a few, rather short, semierect hairs near masticatory borders. Anterior clypeal margin with 1 or 2 relatively long, erect, anteriorly directed setae medially and several shorter setae laterally. A few paired, rather short, erect hairs near anterior and basal clypeal margins, several hairs along frontal carinae and pair of distinctly longer hairs on vertex. Summit of mesosoma with tuft of erect, somewhat curved hairs, more than half of greatest diameter of eyes in length (number of hairs in some specimens reduced to one or two probably due to abrasion). Posterior margins of gastral segments with a few, medium length, erect hairs, more abundant on ventral surfaces and around gastral apex. Very short, mostly appressed or decumbent hairs in various densities arising from pits and puctures over all body surfaces.

Colour. Black with only mandibular masticatory borders, condylae, tips of apical funicular segments and joints between trochanters and femora, reddish brown. Tibiae towards their distal ends a shade lighter.

Queen

Unknown

Male

Unknown

Type Material

HOLOTYPE: INDONESIA, WEST IRIAN, Waris, S of Hollandia (= Sukarnaputra), 03°30’S, 140°55’E, 450-500m, 24-31.viii.1959, T.C. Maa (worker). PARATYPES: data as for holotype (1 worker); INDONESIA, WEST IRIAN, Nabire, S of Geelving Bay, 03°22’S, 135°29’E, 1-20m, 3.vii.1962, J.L. Gressitt & J. Sedlácek (worker); INDONESIA, Schouten Is, SE Biak I., 01°00’S, 136°00’E, 1.vii.1962, J.L. Gressitt & J. Sedlácek (2 workers). PAPUA NEW GUINEA, West Sepik Prov., Pes Mission, c.12km WSW of Aitape, 03°11’S, 142°15’E, <50m, 31.vii-3.viii.1984, RJK acc.84.160 (worker); Madang Prov., 40km W of Madang, 05°13’S, 145°25’E, 140m, 1.ii.1989, P.S. Ward #10113-24 (2 workers). Holotype in Museum of Comparative Zoology, 1 paratype each in Australian National Insect Collection, The Natural History Museum, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Queensland Museum.

References

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. 2006. Review of Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) Forel of Australia, Borneo, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with descriptions of new species. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 52: 87-146.