Polyrhachis denticulata

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Polyrhachis denticulata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Polyrhachis
Subgenus: Hagiomyrma
Species group: penelope
Species: P. denticulata
Binomial name
Polyrhachis denticulata
Karavaiev, 1927

Polyrhachis denticulata casent0906591 p 1 high.jpg

Polyrhachis denticulata casent0906591 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Polyrhachis denticulata.

Identification

A member of the penelope species-group in the Polyrhachis subgenus Hagiomyrma. Kohout (2013): Polyrhachis denticulata is rather similar to Polyrhachis penelope which resulted in specimens collected by F. Dahl at Ralum, being identified as P. penelope by Forel (1901:31). However, the differences separating the species are rather obvious and are discussed in the remarks section under the latter species.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -2.533333333° to -22.46666667°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia.
Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia (type locality), New Guinea.

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

Males and immature stages were apparently collected by F. Dahl at Ralum (Bismarck Archipelago) and should be lodged in the Berlin Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität. However, in a recent visit I failed to locate the material and consider it lost. (Kohout 2013)

Images from AntWeb

Polyrhachis denticulata casent0906591 h 2 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0906591. Photographer Michele Esposito, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

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

  • denticulata. Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) denticulata Karavaiev, 1927e: 13, fig. 4 (w.) INDONESIA (Ambon I.).

The following notes on V.A. Karavaiev type specimens have been provided by Martynov & Radchenko (2016) based on material held in the Institute of Zoology, Ukrainian Academy of Science:

Type locality(-ies): “Amboina, 11.I.1913 (Nr. 3008), ww”.

Original Karawajew label(-s): “Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) / denticulata Karav. typus / Amboina, Karavaev, 3008.”.

Material: SYNTYPES, 7 w, 1 q (newly mounted, IN 314/6/1), 134 w (in alcohol, IN 314/BAMS1/Karaw4–6).

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

Description

Worker

(syntypes cited first): TL c. 6.20-6.70, 6.00-7.43; HL 1.50-1.59, 1.50-1.75; HW 1.22-1.31, 1.22-1.43; CI 81-82, 80- 83; SL 1.68-1.78, 1.68-2.00; SI 136-138, 136-146; PW 1.14-1.25, 1.12-1.34; MW 0.65-0.69, 0.62-0.89; PMI 175-181, 172-185; MTL 1.90-2.00, 1.90-2.37 (2+9 measured).

Mandibles with 5 teeth, distinctly reducing in length towards base. Anterior clypeal margin medially truncate and denticulate, without clearly defined median flange. Clypeus with distinct median carina; sinuate in profile, posteriorly rounding into moderately impressed basal margin. Frontal carinae sinuate with weakly raised margins; central area relatively wide, with medially raised ridge. Sides of head in front of eyes converging towards mandibular bases in straight line; behind eyes, sides rounding into convex occipital margin. Ocelli indistinct. Pronotal dorsum distinctly wider than long; humeri widely rounded with raised, posteriorly converging margins; promesonotal suture distinctly impressed. Mesonotal margins converging posteriorly into medially flat metanotal groove. Propodeal dorsum with lateral margins terminating in more-or-less horizontal, divergent, acute spines. Petiole with anterior face straight, posterior face distinctly swollen; dorsum shallowly concave medially, armed with pair of divergent, weakly elevated, acute spines. Anterior face of first gastral tergite widely rounding onto dorsum.

Mandibles longitudinally striate with numerous piliferous pits; head, mesosoma and petiole reticulate-punctate. Gaster shagreened.

Mandibular masticatory and outer borders with medium length, golden hairs. Anterior clypeal margin medially with several, medium length, golden setae. Numerous, semierect, anteriorly inclined hairs on clypeus, front and vertex of head, a number of hairs fringing outline of head in full face view. Mesosoma and petiole with numerous erect or semierect hairs; gaster with rather abundant, posteriorly inclined, golden hairs, some longer than half of diameter of eyes. Rather sparse and long, silvery, appressed pubescence, covering most body surfaces; pubescence more abundant on gaster, pale golden on dorsum and silvery on sides and venter.

Head and mesosoma black or very dark reddish-brown; mandibles, clypeus, anterior portion of pronotum, appendages and gaster medium reddish-brown. Colour scheme in older specimens, including syntypes, is generally light, reddish-brown, while more recently collected specimens are distinctly darker, with head and mesosoma almost black.

Queen

TL c. 7.15-7.41; HL 1.62; HW 1.31; CI 81; SL 1.78; SI 136; PW 1.51-1.59; MTL 2.09-2.12 (2 measured).

Apart from sexual characters very similar to worker, except: mesoscutum in lateral view relatively low with anterior margin rounding onto flat dorsum; median line bifurcate anteriorly; parapsides flat. Mesoscutellum weakly convex, not elevated above dorsal plane of mesosoma. Propodeal spines very short, subparallel, with tips weakly curved downwards. Petiolar spines very short, divergent. Sculpturation, pilosity, pubescence and colour virtually identical to worker.

Type Material

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
  • Kohout R. J., and R. W. Taylor. 1990. Notes on Australian ants of the genus Polyrhachis Fr. Smith, with a synonymic list of the species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 28: 509-522.
  • Kohout R.J. 2013. Revision of Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) Wheeler, 1911 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Nature 56: 487–577
  • Latumahina F., M. Borovanska, N. S. Putra, and M. Janda. 2015. Ants of Ambon Island – diversity survey and checklist. ZooKeys 472: 43–57.
  • Martynov A. V., and A. G. Radchenko. 2016. Karawajew’s ant type specimens (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Zootaxa 4097 (2): 244–254.
  • Robson Simon Database Polyrhachis -05 Sept 2014