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Polyrhachis brachyspina
| Polyrhachis brachyspina | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Polyrhachis |
| Subgenus: | Myrma |
| Species: | P. brachyspina |
| Binomial name | |
| Polyrhachis brachyspina Kohout, 2008
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Nothing is known about the biology of Polyrhachis brachyspina.
Identification
A member of the Polyrhachis relucens species group in the subgenus Myrma
Kohout (2008) - Polyrhachis brachyspina is characterised by a rather short mesosoma with broadly-based pronotal spines and very short petiolar spines.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia (type locality), Sulawesi.
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
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- brachyspina. Polyrhachis brachyspina Kohout, 2008a: 268, figs. 2C-D (w.) INDONESIA (Sulawesi).
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
TL c. 7.76; HL 1.96; HW 1.62; CI 83; SL 2.25; SI 139; PW 1.22; MTL 2.50.
Anterior clypeal margin arcuate, entire. Clypeus with blunt longitudinal median carina; in profile shallowly concave, with distinctly raised anterior margin and flat basal margin. Frontal triangle distinct. Frontal carinae sinuate, margins weakly raised; central area flat, relatively wide with weakly impressed frontal furrow. Sides of head in front of eyes straight, weakly converging towards mandibular bases; behind eyes sides rounding into broadly convex occipital margin. Eyes moderately convex, in full face view breaking lateral cephalic outline. Ocelli lacking. Pronotal dorsum convex in outline with pair of broad-based, anterolaterally and weakly downwards directed, acute spines; lateral edges of spines continuous with weakly posteriorly converging pronotal margins. Mesonotum wider than long. Propodeum with lateral margins parallel, terminating posteriorly in distinct, upturned denticles; posterior margins meeting medially to form a distinct transverse ridge that separates propodeal dorsum from distinctly concave declivity. Petiole biconvex in profile; armed with a pair of short, acute, dorsolaterally directed, posteriorly curved spines on dorsolateral angles; spines separated by relatively wide, weakly medially convex, dorsal margin; short, acute tooth situated laterally gastral segment concave with rather distinct anterodorsal margin narrowly rounding onto dorsum of segment.
Mandibles longitudinally striate. Clypeus shagreened, sides of head rather reticulate-rugose; vertex and area between frontal carinae and eyes with irregular, mostly longitudinal striae. Central area rugose with distinct punctures; shagreened along occipital margin. Pronotal dorsum shagreened with faint longitudinal striations. Dorsa of mesonotum and propodeum somewhat irregularly, mostly longitudinally, striate-punctate; sides of mesosoma reticulate-punctate. Petiole shagreened dorsally with sculpturation coarser at base. Gaster very finely shagreened.
Mandiblar masticatory borders with several yellow, curved hairs. Anterior clypeal margin with a few, anteriorly directed longer setae and several shorter setae fringing margin laterally. A few pairs of erect, medium length hairs near anterior and basal clypeal margins. Gaster with several, erect, longer hairs, arising along posterior margins of apical segments and around apex. Relatively long, appressed, yellow or golden pubescence in various densities over most dorsal body surfaces, but virtually absent from central area, vertex, sides of head and between frontal carinae and eyes. Pubescence on gaster distinctly shorter, more appressed and dense, almost completely hiding underlying sculpture.
Colour. Black throughout; only tips of mandibular teeth, extreme tips of apical funicular segments and tarsal claws, light reddish-yellow.
Type Material
HOLOTYPE, SULAWESI UTARA: Dumoga-Bone NP, 11.ii.1985, N.E. Stork et al. (worker). Unique holotype in The Natural History Museum.
References
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Kohout, R. J. 2008. A review of the Polyrhachis ants of Sulawesi with keys and descriptions of new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 52:255-317.