Polyrhachis cryptoceroides

Polyrhachis cryptoceroides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Polyrhachis
Subgenus:	Myrmhopla
Species:	P. cryptoceroides
Binomial name
Polyrhachis cryptoceroides Emery, 1887 Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Polyrhachis mystica Karavaiev, 1927

A widespread and rather variable species that seems to form numerous local populations that show slight morphological differences. When specimens from across the whole range of its distribution are compared these morphological differences intergrade and I prefer to consider all of the examined populations conspecific. The workers of P. cryptoceroides superficially resemble those of Cataulacus and they are often seen foraging together on the trunks of rainforest trees. (Kohout 2006)

Identification

A member of the Polyrhachis cryptoceroides species group.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Polyrhachis cryptoceroides-group species
• Key to Sulawesi Polyrhachis subgenera and species-groups

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 6.9° to -6.5975°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia (type locality), Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sulawesi.
Oriental Region: Laos.

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.

Castes

Worker

.	Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Images from AntWeb

Worker. Specimen code casent0906756. 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.

• cryptoceroides. Polyrhachis cryptoceroides Emery, 1887a: 228, pl. 3, fig. 14 (w.) INDONESIA (Sulawesi). Combination in P. (Myrmhopla): Emery, 1925b: 190. Senior synonym of mystica: Dorow, 1995: 51. See also: Kohout, 2006a: 146.
• mystica. Polyrhachis (Aulacomyrma) mystica Karavaiev, 1927e: 41, fig. 19 (w.q.m.) INDONESIA (Java). Junior synonym of cryptoceroides: Dorow, 1995: 51.

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

Description

Worker

Kohout (2006) – P. cryptoceroides syntype: TL c. 6.00; HL 1.43; HW 1.51; CI 105; SL 1.40; SI 93; PW 1.68; MTL 1.62 (1 measured). P. mystica syntypes (workers cited first, ueen last): TL c. 5.43, 7.36; HL 1.31, 1.31, 1.68; HW 1.31, 1.28, 1.72; CI 100, 98, 102; SL 1.31, 1.25, 1.65; SI 100, 98, 96; PW 1.40, 1.40, 1.76; MTL 1.50, 1.47, 1.96 (2 workers and 1 alate queen measured). additional workers: TL c. 4.84 - 5.59; HL 1.15 - 1.40; HW 1.18 - 1.40; CI 98 - 105; SL 1.12 - 1.37; SI 88 - 102; PW 1.25 - 1.75; MTL 1.22 - 1.53 (14 workers measured).

Type Material

Kohout (2006)

Syntype workers. INDONESIA, SULAWESI, Macassar (O. Beccari), Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa (examined).

Polyrhachis (Aulacomyrma) mystica KARAWAJEW, 1927. Syntype workers, queens, males. Type locality: Indonesia, Java, Buitenzorg (= Bogor) (W. Karawajew #2323), IZAS, QMBA (examined).

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:

Polyrhachis (Aulacomyrma) mystica Karawajew, 1927.

Type locality(-ies): “Buitenzorg, 20.XII.1912 (Nr. 2323), ww, geflüg. qq und mm aus einem Nest”.

Original Karawajew label(-s): “Polyrhachis (Aulacomyrma) / mystica Kar. 2323 / Buitenzorg, Karavaev”; “Polyrhachis (Aulacomyrma) / mystica Karav. typus. / Tjiapus bei Buitenzorg, Java. 2362. / Leg. et det. V. Karavaiev” and “Tjiapus, Java, / Karav., 2362.”; “Polyrhachis (Aulacomyrma) / mystica Karav. typus. / Tjiapus bei Buitenzorg, Java. 2362. / Leg. et det. V. Karavaev” and “Polyrhachis (Aulacomyrma) / mystica Kar. 2362 / Buitenzorg Buitenzorg, Karavaiev.”.

Material: SYNTYPES, with original Karawajew number 2323: 4 w, 1 q, 1 m (newly mounted, IN 314/6/1), 208 w, 37 q, 12 m (in alcohol, IN 314/BAMS1/Karaw14–17); with original Karawajew number 2362: 11 w, 1 q (newly mounted, IN 314/6/1), 58 w, 25 larvae, 3 pupae (in alcohol, IN 314/BAMS1/Karaw37–38).

Notes. In his original description Karawajew (1927a) provided the collection number 2323 for the type series of this taxon. We found in the NMNH NASU two vials with P. mystica: one has the number 2323 (as in the original description), but in the other one bears n° 2362, while material was also marked as “typus” (see above). We compared material from both vials, as well as with the type specimens with collection number 2323 from SIZK, and confirm their conspecificity. We may only suppose that Karawajew did not provide both collection numbers when described this taxon, and we consider the specimens from both samples as syntypes.

References

• Dorow, W. H. O. 1995. Revision of the ant genus Polyrhachis Smith, 1857 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) on subgenus level with keys, checklist of species and bibliography. Cour. Forschungsinst. Senckenb. 185: 1-113 (page 51, Senior synonym of mystica)
• Emery, C. 1887a [1886]. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia. [part]. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 24[=(2)(4): 209-240 (page 228, pl. 3, fig. 14 worker described)
• Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 190, Combination in P. (Myrmhopla)dor)
• Khachonpisitsak, S., Yamane, S., Sriwichai, P., Jaitrong, W. 2020. An updated checklist of the ants of Thailand (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 998, 1–182 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.998.54902).
• Kohout, R.J. 2006a. A review of the Polyrhachis cryptoceroides species-group with description of a new species from Thailand. Myrmecologische Nachrichten. 8:145-150.
• Kohout, R.J. 2008a. 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.
• Martynov, A.V., Radchenko, A.G. 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.
• Radchenko, A.G., Fisher, B.L., Esteves, F.A., Martynova, E.V., Bazhenova, T.N., Lasarenko, S.N. 2023. Ant type specimens (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the collection of Volodymyr Opanasovych Karawajew. Communication 1. Dorylinae, Poneromorpha and Pseudomyrmecinae. Zootaxa, 5244(1), 1–32 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5244.1.1).
• Wang, W.Y., Soh, E.J.Y., Yong, G.W.J., Wong, M.K.L., Benoit Guénard, Economo, E.P., Yamane, S. 2022. Remarkable diversity in a little red dot: a comprehensive checklist of known ant species in Singapore (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with notes on ecology and taxonomy. Asian Myrmecology 15: e015006 (doi:10.20362/am.015006).
• Yamane, S., Tanaka, H.O., Hasimoto, Y., Ohashi, M., Meleng, P., Itioka, T. 2021. A list of ants from Lambir Hills National Park and its vicinity, with their biological information: Part II. Subfamilies Leptanillinae, Proceratiinae, Amblyoponinae, Ponerinae, Dorylinae, Dolichoderinae, Ectatomminae and Formicinae. Contributions from the Biological Laboratory, Kyoto University 31, 87–157.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Andersen A. N., R. J. Kohout, and C. R. Trainor. 2013. Biogeography of Timor and Surrounding Wallacean Islands: Endemism in Ants of the Genus Polyrhachis Fr. Smith. Diversity 5: 139-148.
• 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
• Emery C. 1886. Saggio di un catalogo sistematico dei generi Camponotus, Polyrhachis e affini. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna 5: 363-382
• Emery C. 1887. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia. [part]. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 24(4): 209-258.
• Emery C. 1901. Formiciden von Celebes. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 14:565-580.
• Emery, C. "Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 4, no. 24 (1887): 209-258.
• Floren A., W. Wetzel, and M. Staab. 2013. The contribution of canopy species to overall ant diversity (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in temperate and tropical ecosystems. – Myrmecological News 19: 65-74.
• Forel A. 1913k. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse einer Forschungsreise nach Ostindien ausgeführt im Auftrage der Kgl. Preuss. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin von H. v. Buttel-Reepen. II. Ameisen aus Sumatra, Java, Malacca und Ceylon. Gesammelt von Herrn Prof. Dr. v. Buttel-Reepen in den Jahren 1911-1912. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 36:1-148.
• Ito, F.; Yamane, S.; Eguchi, K.; Noerdjito, W. A.; Kahono, S.; Tsuji, K.; Ohkawara, K.; Yamauchi, K.; Nishida, T.; Nakamura, K. 2001. Ant species diversity in the Bogor Botanic Garden, West Java, Indonesia, with descriptions of two new species of the genus Leptanilla (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Tropics 10:379-404.
• Jaitrong W., B. Guenard, E. P. Economo, N. Buddhakala, and S. Yamane. 2016. A checklist of known ant species of Laos (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Asian Myrmecology 8: 1-32. DOI: 10.20362/am.008019
• Kohout R.J. 2006. A review of the Polyrhachis cryptoceroides species-group with description of a new species from Thailand. Myrmecologische Nachrichten 8: 145-150.
• 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.
• 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.
• Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58
• Robson Simon Database Polyrhachis -05 Sept 2014
• Tanaka H. O., S. Yamane, and T. Itioka. 2012. Effects of a fern-dwelling ant species, Crematogaster difformis, on the ant assemblages of emergent trees in a Bornean tropical rainforest. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 105(4): 592-598.
• Trainor C.R., and A.N. Andersen. 2010. The ant fauna of Timor and neighbouring islands: potential bridges between the disjunct faunas of South East Asia and Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 58: 133-144.
• Yusah K. M., T. M. Fayle, G. Harris, and W. A. Foster. 2012. Optimizing diversity assesment protocols for high canopy ants in tropical rain forest. Biotropica 44(1): 73-81.