Polyrhachis alexisi

Polyrhachis alexisi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Polyrhachis
Subgenus:	Myrma
Species group:	alexisi
Species:	P. alexisi
Binomial name
Polyrhachis alexisi Forel, 1916 Specimen Labels

This rare, but distinctive species is only known from the original type specimens (Bolton, 1973) and a collection from the Central African Republic (Rigato, 2016).

Identification

The only species of the alexisi group with a combination of four petiolar spines or teeth and immarginate propodeum.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Afrotropical Polyrhachis species
• Key to Afrotropical Polyrhachis species (Bolton 1973, OUTDATED)

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -2.283333333° to -2.283333333°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Central African Republic, 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.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• alexisi. Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) alexisi Forel, 1916: 455, fig. 7 (w.q.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. Combination in P. (Pseudocyrtomyrma): Emery, 1925b: 206; in P. (Myrma): Bolton, 1973b: 346.

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

Description

Rigato (2016) - HL 1.25, HW 1.11, CI 89, SL 1.41, SI 127, FW 0.30, FI 27, PW 1.00, WL 1.56, HTL 1.35.

Bolton (1973) - TL 4.8, HL 1.19, HW 1.00, CI 84, SL 1.26, SI 126, PW 0.89, MTL 1.26.

Median portion of anterior clypeal margin projecting as a shallow, rectangular lobe, ending laterally in a pair of acute denticles. Sides of the head straight to weakly concave in front of the eyes, gradually converging anteriorly. Eyes convex, just breaking the outline of the sides of the head in full-face view. Alitrunk short, broad, convex dorsally. Pronotum armed with a pair of short spines, marginate for about half the distance between the base of each spine and the promesonotal suture. Remainder of alitrunk not marginate, the dorsum rounding without interruption into the sides. Promesonotal suture shallow but distinct, metanotal groove absent. Propodeum unarmed, the dorsum rounding into the declivity, the two surfaces not separated by a transverse ridge or margin. Declivity of propodeum very deep, concave in profile. Petiole with a pair of dorsal spines and a pair of lateral teeth. Anterior surface of the first gastral segment concave medially.

Erect hairs absent except on the clypeus, mandibles, and gastral apex. Pubescence extremely short and sparse.

Clypeus and gaster finely reticulate. Head finely, longitudinally striate. Dorsum of alitrunk with an exceedingly fine and dense striation overlying a superficial reticulation. In dorsal view the striae are longitudinal and somewhat arched on the pronotum, divergent on the mesonotum and posteriorly convergent on the propodeum. Sides of alitrunk finely reticulate apart from the propodeum which is striate as the dorsum. Colour black, the appendages brown, and with the antenna! funiculi yellow-brown.

Type Material

Bolton (1973) - Syntype workers, CONGO (KINSHASA) (H. Kohl) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève) [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. (page 346, Combination in P. (Myrma))
• Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 206, Combination in P. (Pseudocyrtomyrma))
• Forel, A. 1916. Fourmis du Congo et d'autres provenances récoltées par MM. Hermann Kohl, Luja, Mayné, etc. Reue. Suisse de Zoologie. 24:397-460.
• 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.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• 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.