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Polyrhachis cornuta
| Polyrhachis cornuta | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Polyrhachis |
| Subgenus: | Myrma |
| Species group: | militaris |
| Species: | P. cornuta |
| Binomial name | |
| Polyrhachis cornuta Stitz, 1910
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Nothing is known about the biology of Polyrhachis cornuta.
Identification
A member of the Polyrhachis militaris species-group. Bolton (1973) - As stated by Stitz in the original description the structure of the petiole in this species is its most distinguishing character. The petiole form and shape of the head ally this species very closely to Polyrhachis phidias, whilst the overall build and sculpturation places the species firmly in the Polyrhachis fissa complex of the militaris-group. Differences from phidias include the sculpturation and the smaller size of that species.
Keys including this Species
- Key to Afrotropical Polyrhachis species
- Key to Afrotropical Polyrhachis species (Bolton 1973, OUTDATED)
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -4.15972° to -4.28333°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Democratic Republic of Congo (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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Biology
Castes
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Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- cornuta. Polyrhachis cornuta Stitz, 1910: 150 (w.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. Combination in P. (Myrma): Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 994. See also: Bolton, 1973b: 300.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Bolton (1973) - TL 5.6, HL 1.42, HW 1.16, CI 82, SL 1.60, SI 138, PW 1.20, MTL 1.58.
Anterior clypeal margin arcuate and entire. Eyes convex, large and prominent. Sides of head in front of eyes more or less straight, somewhat convergent anteriorly. Behind the eyes the sides of the head almost straight, meeting the shallowly convex occipital margin almost in a right-angle. The eye itself is set in a somewhat impressed area upon the side of the head. Alitrunk marginate laterally throughout its length, the marginations interrupted at the sutures. Pronotum armed with a pair of broad, flattened, subtriangular spines; the propodeum with a pair of minute teeth. Promesonotal suture well developed; metanotal groove distinct and impressed. Dorsal surfaces of the constituent sclerites of the alitrunk convex. Petiole with a pair of short erect dorsal spines and an enormously developed pair of lateral horns which curve upwards, outwards and backwards around the base of the first gastral segment. These lateral spines are extremely thick at the base and taper apically. Anterior face of the first gastral segment concave medially.
All dorsal surfaces of the head and body with numerous long, erect hairs, which are however absent from the antennal scapes. Pubescence very fine and sparse, greyish, densest on the sides of the alitrunk and on the gaster.
Clypeus and gaster finely and densely superficially reticulate. Head, dorsum and sides of alitrunk, and anterior face of petiole longitudinally striate-rugose, more faintly so on the petiole than elsewhere.
Black, with legs, mandibles and apical six segments of the antennal funiculus brown or yellow-brown.
Type Material
Bolton (1973) - Holotype worker, CONGO (KINSHASA) : Kuako, Kimpoko (Buttner) (Berlin Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität) [examined].
References
- Bolton, B. 1973b. The ant genus Polyrhachis F. Smith in the Ethiopian region (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology. 28:283-369.
- Rigato, F. 2016. The ant genus Polyrhachis F. Smith in sub-Saharan Africa, with descriptions of ten new species. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 4088:1–50.
- Stitz, H. 1910. Westafrikanische Ameisen. I. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berl. 5: 125-151 (page 150, worker described)
- Wheeler, W. M. 1922i. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VII. Keys to the genera and subgenera of ants. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 631-710 (page 994, Combination in P. (Myrma))
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection