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Polyrhachis delecta
| Polyrhachis delecta | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Polyrhachis |
| Subgenus: | Cyrtomyrma |
| Species: | P. delecta |
| Binomial name | |
| Polyrhachis delecta Kohout, 2006
| |
Polyrhachis delecta build their nests between the leaves of trees and shrubs (Kohout 2006). Larval silk and carton are used to secure the nests (Tranter & Hughes 2015).
Identification
Remarkably similar to Polyrhachis euryala from Indonesia. Both are distinctly slender with a relatively narrow mesosoma and widely rounded pronotal shoulders. However, P. delecta has distinctly shorter antennal scapes (SI 119-129 versus 140-147 in P. euryala) and subequal petiolar spines. In P. euryala the lateral petiolar spines are distinctly longer than the dorsal pair. (Kohout 2006)
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Rainforests of Queensland’s Wet Tropics.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -15.83° to -18.99°.
| 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. |
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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. |
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Abundance
Common
Biology
Tranter & Hughes (2015) studied three nests formed from five or fewer leaves at the terminus of a hanging branch, with the leaves slightly folded and woven together with silk and carton material. All nests had one entrance located at the bottom of the nest. Internally, nests were composed of one or two large chambers, and a number of smaller chambers towards the periphery. These chambers were lined with silk sheets. They described the construction of silk ‘girder’ structures which spanned larger chambers, and hypothesized that these provide additional strength to the internal nest structure. Colonies consisted of one dealate queen, 421, 465 and 216 workers, as well as dozens of brood
Association with Other Organisms
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Nematode
- This species is a host for the nematode Mermithidae (unspec.) (a parasite) in Australia (N. Queensland) (Downes, 2017; Laciny, 2021).
Castes
Males (undescribed) and immature stages (eggs, larvae and pupae) deposited in the Queensland Museum spirit collection. (Kohout 2006)
Worker
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0281363. Photographer Cerise Chen, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by PSWC, Philip S. Ward Collection. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- delecta. Polyrhachis delecta Kohout, 2006b: 97, figs. 2A, D-E (w.q.m.) AUSTRALIA.
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. 6.35, 5.90-6.50; HL 1.62, 1.47-1.62; HW 1.59, 1.40-1.59; CI 98, 93-100; SL 1.90, 1.81-1.96; SI 119, 119-129; PW 1.25, 1.15-1.28; MTL 2.31, 2.09-2.37 (25 measured).
Clypeus in profile rounding into shallowly impressed basal margin in weakly convex line. Frontal triangle rather indistinct. Frontal carinae sinuate with moderately raised margins; central area with moderately impressed frontal furrow. Sides of head in front of eyes very weakly convex; behind eyes rounding into convex occipital margin. Eyes moderately convex, in full face view just breaking lateral cephalic outline. Ocelli lacking. Pronotal humeri in dorsal view widely rounded; greatest width of pronotum at mid-length of segment. Mesosoma in profile evenly convex; promesosonal suture distinct; metanotal groove lacking, position indicated by slight depression in mesosomal outline; propodeal dorsum narrowly rounding into rather steep declivity. Petiole with anterior face almost straight, posterior face convex; dorsal margin armed with four acute, subequal spines. Subpetiolar process angular anteriorly, blunt posteriorly. Anterior face of first gastral segment relatively low, widely rounding onto dorsum of segment.
Mandibles very finely, longitudinally rugose. Dorsum of head, mesosoma and gaster finely shagreened with intensity of sculpturation increasing laterally, sides of mesosoma and petiole strongly reticulate-rugose. All dorsal body surfaces, including mandibles, with numerous minute punctures and piliferous pits.
Several curved and semierect hairs arising from mandibular masticatory borders. Anterior clypeal margin usually with 3 longer, anteriorly directed setae and fringe of shorter setae lining margin laterally. Several paired, medium length, hairs near anterior and basal clypeal margins and along frontal carinae; a pair of somewhat longer hairs on vertex. Tuft of a few, weakly curved hairs, shorter than greatest diameter of eye, on summit of mesonotum. Medium length hairs lining posterior margins of gastral segments, more numerous on venter. Colour. Black, including antennae, coxae and tarsi. Mandibular masticatory borders, extreme tip of apical funicular segments, condylae and posterior margins of gastral segments reddish-brown. Femora and tibiae light to medium reddish-brown, except proximal ends of tibiae distinctly darker.
Queen
Dimensions: TL c. 7.26-8.06; HL 1.72-1.78; HW 1.65-1.68; CI 93-98; SL 2.03-2.09; SI 121-127; PW 1.81-1.93; MTL 2.56-2.71 (6 measured). Apart from sexual characters, similar to worker except: eyes larger, in full face view clearly breaking cephalic outline. Pronotal humeri narrowly rounded; mesoscutum marginally wider than long; lateral margins converging anteriorly, forming relatively widely rounded anterior margin; median line bifurcated posteriorly; parapsides weakly indicated, slightly raised posteriorly; mesoscutum in profile with relatively high, widely rounded anterior face and flat dorsum. Mesoscutellum in profile convex, weakly elevated above dorsal plane of mesosoma; metanotal groove distinct. Propodeal dorsum descending into virtually vertical declivity. Petiole with spines shorter and blunter. Sculpturation and colour pattern essentially as in worker.
Type Material
HOLOTYPE: QUEENSLAND, Palmerston NP, 17°37’S, 145°48’E, c. 400m, 4.v.1997, primary rf, S.K.A. Robson acc. #551 (worker). PARATYPES: data (and nest) as for holotype (294 workers, 1 dealate queen, 67 alate queens, 77 males). Holotype (QMT99335), paratype dealate queen, most paratype workers, alate queens and males in Queensland Museum; 3 paratype workers and 1 paratype alate queen each in Australian National Insect Collection, The Natural History Museum and Museum of Comparative Zoology; 2 paratype workers each in American Museum of Natural History, California Academy of Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and National Museum of Natural History.
- Polyrhachis delicata: Paratype, 2 workers, Palmerston National Park, Queensland, Australia, American Museum of Natural History.
- Polyrhachis delicata: Paratype, 3 workers, 1 queen, Palmerston National Park, Queensland, Australia, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Polyrhachis delicata: Paratype, 3 workers, 1 queen, Palmerston National Park, Queensland, Australia, The Natural History Museum.
- Polyrhachis delicata: Paratype, 2 workers, Palmerston National Park, Queensland, Australia, California Academy of Sciences.
- Polyrhachis delicata: Paratype, 2 workers, Palmerston National Park, Queensland, Australia, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.
- Polyrhachis delicata: Paratype, 3 workers, 1 queen, Palmerston National Park, Queensland, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
- Polyrhachis delicata: Paratype, 2 workers, Palmerston National Park, Queensland, Australia, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève.
- Polyrhachis delicata: Paratype, worker, Palmerston National Park, Queensland, Australia, Queensland Museum.
- Polyrhachis delicata: Paratype, 273 workers, 64 queens, 77 males, Palmerston National Park, Queensland, Australia, Queensland Museum.
- Polyrhachis delicata: Paratype, worker(s), Palmerston National Park, Queensland, Australia, National Museum of Natural History.
- Polyrhachis delicata: Paratype, 2 workers, Palmerston National Park, Queensland, Australia, James Cook Univ. (Townsville).
References
- Downes, M.F. 2017. Mermithid nematodes hosted by Polyrhachis weaver ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in north Queensland, including multiparasitism with an insect parasitoid. Australian Entomologist 44: 147–160.
- Kohout, R. J. 2006b. Review of Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) of Australia, Borneo, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with descriptions of new species. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 52:87-146.
- Laciny, A. 2021. Among the shapeshifters: parasite-induced morphologies in ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) and their relevance within the EcoEvoDevo framework. EvoDevo 12, 2 (doi:10.1186/s13227-021-00173-2).
- Tranter C. & Hughes WOH. 2015. A preliminary study of nest structure and composition of the weaver ant Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) delecta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Natural History 50(19-20):1-11.
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- 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.
- Tranter C., and W. O. H. Hughes. 2015. A preliminary study of nest structure and composition of the weaver ant Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) delecta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Journal of Natural History, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1103912