Polyrhachis laevissima

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Polyrhachis laevissima
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Polyrhachis
Subgenus: Cyrtomyrma
Species: P. laevissima
Binomial name
Polyrhachis laevissima
Smith, F., 1858

MCZ-ENT001 Polyrhachis-laevissima hal.jpg

MCZ-ENT001 Polyrhachis-laevissima had.jpg

Specimen Label

Subspecies
Synonyms

Nothing is known about the biology of Polyrhachis laevissima.

Identification

Polyrhachis laevissima closely resembles Polyrhachis sulang, but the latter differs in having a distinctly lower and more evenly convex mesosomal profile. They also differ in the configuration of the petiolar spines, with those in Polyrhachis laevissima reduced to obtuse teeth, while the lateral teeth in Polyrhachis sulang are distinctly elongate. The legs in Polyrhachis laevissima are distinctly light red, while in Polyrhachis sulang the legs are darker with black coxae. (Kohout 2006)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Polyrhachis laevissima is distributed from Myanmar and India to Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra and Java, with more recent records from Borneo (Maliau Basin, Sabah).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 22.675° to -1°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore.
Oriental Region: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar (type locality), Thailand.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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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Biology

Castes

MCZ Polyrhachis Cam sp1 hef3 2.jpgMCZ Polyrhachis Cam sp1 hal2.jpgMCZ Polyrhachis Cam sp1 had2.jpgMCZ Polyrhachis Cam sp1 lbs.jpg
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Nomenclature

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

  • laevissima. Polyrhachis laevissimus Smith, F. 1858b: 64, pl. 4, fig. 42 (w.) MYANMAR. Mayr, 1879: 651 (q.); Bingham, 1903: 402 (m.). Combination in P. (Cyrtomyrma): Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 137. Senior synonym of globularia: Mayr, 1879: 651. See also: Kohout, 2006b: 113. Current subspecies: nominal plus dichroa.
  • globularia. Polyrhachis globularia Mayr, 1867a: 41 (w.) INDONESIA (Java). Junior synonym of laevissima: Mayr, 1879: 651.

Description

Worker

Length 2-1/4 lines. Black, smooth and shining, with the coxae, femora and tibiae ferruginous. Head large, wider than the thorax, the latter widest in front, gradually narrowed to the apex of the metathorax; the anterior margin of the thorax rounded, the lateral angles acute, the disk very convex, the metathorax oblique. The scale of the peduncle incrassate, subquadrate, the superior margin notched in the middle, the lateral angles produced and acute. Abdomen globose.

Queen

Femina: Long. 8-10 Mm. Nigra, pedibus ferugineis, tibiis basi tarsisque nigris; subnuda; tenuisime coriaceo-rugulosa et insuper punctulis valde superficialibus, dispersissime pilos microscopicos et brevissimos gerentibus; nitidissima, mandibuliS disperse punctatis et insuper, basi excepta, delicatule striolatis; clypeus absque carina mediana, margine antico in medio emarginato et bidentato; thorax inermis; petioli squama modice incrassata, obtrapezoidalis, margine sutperiore curvato, in medio modice emarginato, angulis acutis; alae infuscatae. (Mayr 1879)

Male

Similar to the queen, smaller; thorax shorter, proportionately deeper; mesonotum remarkably gibbous in front, head and abdomen very much smaller; wings as in the queen but a shade lighter in colour. Length, 6 mm. (Bingham 1903)

Type Material

MYANMAR (= Burma), col. Waring. Holotype worker from The Natural History Museum - as reported by Kohout (2006).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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