Polyrhachis wagneri

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Polyrhachis wagneri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Polyrhachis
Subgenus: Cyrtomyrma
Species: P. wagneri
Binomial name
Polyrhachis wagneri
Viehmeyer, 1914

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Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Polyrhachis wagneri.

Identification

Polyrhachis wagneri is relatively similar to Polyrhachis leonidas from the Bismarck Archipelago from which it differs by a distinctly smaller head, higher and more convex pronotum and very short, tooth-like propodeal spines. The petiole is exceptionally broad with widely diverging lateral spines. (Kohout 2006)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Polyrhachis wagneri appears to be rare, with only one recent specimen, collected by R.W. Taylor at Yawasora nr Wewak (East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea), available for examination. (Kohout 2006)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea (type locality).

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

Known only from workers.

Nomenclature

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

  • wagneri. Polyrhachis wagneri Viehmeyer, 1914b: 51, fig. 10 (w.) NEW GUINEA. Combination in P. (Cyrtomyrma): Emery, 1925b: 208. See also: Kohout, 2006b: 134.

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

Description

Worker

Der leonidas For. am nachsten verwandt, aber rein schwarz (leonidas hat auf Kopi und Thorax einen schwachen grunlichen Schimmer) und stark glanzend. Kopf hinten schmaler, Augen etwas konvexer. The rax starker gewolbt. Pronotum kurzer, Vorderecken desselben mehr abgerundet wie bei goramensis (leonidas hat das Pronotum wie rastellata), Mesooepinotum bis zur abschussigen Flache langer Zahne, abschussige Flache hoher. Schuppe des Petiolus auberodentlich breit mit hoher Vorder- und fast horizontaler Dorsalflache, sek kurzen, durch einen flachen Bogen getrennten mittleren Zahnen und langen, stark divergierenden Seitendornen.

L. 6 mm.

Queen

Male

Type Material

Holotype worker. Berlin Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität. Although Viehmeyer listed only one specimen in the original description, there are four specimens in the Berlin Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität labelled as types. – (as reported in Kohout 2006).

Type Locality Information

NEW GUINEA, Wareo.

References

  • Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 208, Combination in P. (Cyrtomyrma))
  • Kohout, R. J. 2006. 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.
  • Viehmeyer, H. 1914b [1913]. Neue und unvollständig bekannte Ameisen der alten Welt. Arch. Naturgesch. (A)79(1 12: 24-60 (page 51, fig. 10 worker described)

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.