Polyrhachis consimilis

Polyrhachis consimilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Polyrhachis
Subgenus:	Hedomyrma
Species:	P. consimilis
Binomial name
	Polyrhachis consimilis; Smith, F., 1858 Specimen Labels

Identification

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

consimilis. Polyrhachis consimilis Smith, F. 1858b: 73, pl. 4, figs. 30, 31 (w.) AUSTRALIA (not Sierra Leone; see Bolton, 1973b: 352; Kohout, 1988c: 432). Combination in P. (Myrma): Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 994; in P. (Hagiomyrma): Emery, 1925b: 185; in P. (Hedomyrma): Kohout & Taylor, 1990: 512.

Type Material

Polyrhachis consimillis Smith, 1858: Syntype, worker(s), Sierra Leone (apparently an error for an Australian locality), Australia.

Kohout (1988) - The type locality of this species, as given in the original description, is highly questionable. Bolton (1973) suggests that Smith was in error when he listed Sierra Leone as the provenence of the type specimen, and this opinion is now supported by the discovery of a single specimen in the Kimberley region of North Western Australia (near Kalamburu Mission, August 1967, collected by W. Leutert). I have directly compared this individual with the unique holotype of P. consimilis and am satisfied that they are conspecific.

Description

References

Bolton, B. 1973b. The ant genus Polyrhachis F. Smith in the Ethiopian region (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Entomol. 28: 283-369 (page 352, see also)
Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 185, Combination in P. (Hagiomyrma))
Heterick, B.E. 2021. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part I: Systematics. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 86, 1-245 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2021.001-245).
Heterick, B.E. 2022. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part II: Distribution and biology. Records of the Western Australian Museum, supplement 86: 247-510 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2022.247-510).
Kohout, R. J. 1988c. Nomenclatural changes and new Australian records in the ant genus Polyrhachis Fr. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Mem. Qld. Mus. 25: 429-438 (page 432, see also)
Kohout, R. J.; Taylor, R. W. 1990. Notes on Australian ants of the genus Polyrhachis Fr. Smith, with a synonymic list of the species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Mem. Qld. Mus. 28: 509-522 (page 512, Combination in P.. (Hedomyrma))
Smith, F. 1858b. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part VI. Formicidae. London: British Museum, 216 pp. (page 73, pl. 4, figs. 30, 31 worker described)
Wheeler, W. M. 1922j. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 711-1004 (page 994, Combination in P. (Myrma))