Polyrhachis dolomedes

Polyrhachis dolomedes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Polyrhachis
Subgenus:	Myrmatopa
Species:	P. dolomedes
Binomial name
	Polyrhachis dolomedes; Smith, F., 1863 Specimen Labels
Synonyms
	Polyrhachis schang gracilior Karavaiev, 1927; Polyrhachis schang amboinae Santschi, 1928;

Identification

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia (type locality), Malaysia, New Guinea.
Oriental Region: Thailand.

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

Images from AntWeb


Syntype of Polyrhachis dolomedes. Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0901814. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by OUM, Oxford, UK.


Syntype of Polyrhachis dolomedes. Worker. Specimen code casent0901832. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by OUM, Oxford, UK.


Syntype of Polyrhachis dolomedes. Worker. Specimen code casent0903309. Photographer Z. Lieberman, 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.

dolomedes. Polyrhachis dolomedes Smith, F. 1863: 14 (w.q.) INDONESIA (Seram I.). Combination in P. (Myrmatopa): Donisthorpe, 1932c: 469. Senior synonym of amboinae: Kohout, 2012: 35.
gracilior. Polyrhachis (Myrmatopa) schang var. gracilior Karavaiev, 1927e: 11 (w.q.m.) INDONESIA (Ambon I.). [Junior primary homonym of gracilior Forel, above.] Replacement name: amboinae Santschi, 1928h: 139.
amboinae. Polyrhachis (Myrmatopa) schang var. amboinae Santschi, 1928h: 139. Replacement name for gracilior Karavaiev, 1927e: 11. [Junior primary homonym of gracilior Forel, 1893c: 25.] Junior synonym of dolomedes: Kohout, 2012: 35.

Polyrhachis dolomedes type material.

Syntype workers and queen from Seram I., Indonesia, A.R. Wallace (Oxford University Museum of Natural History, The Natural History Museum) (examined by Kohout, 2012).

Note: Barry Bolton supplied Kohout (2012) with a copy of his unpublished ‘Catalogue of F. Smith type-material from UM, Oxford’ which contains the following notes on the syntype material of P. dolomedes: 'Syntypes 1 worker and 1 queen in UM, Oxford. One further syntype (worker) in BMNH. The UM Oxford specimens bear a Donisthorpe type-label and the BMNH specimen a ‘compared with type’ label of Donisthorpe. However, if the writing on the underside of the stage cards is consulted it becomes obvious that all three specimens were originally mounted together and that the card has been divided at a later date. The underside of the stage card of the BMNH specimen has ‘P. /’ (part of the ‘D’) and ‘Ceram’. The Oxford specimens have ‘Dolomedes’ (with part of the ‘D’ missing). The two cards fit together perfectly to read ‘P. Dolomedes. Ceram’' (Bolton unpublished data, cited by Kohout, 2012).

The following notes on F. Smith type specimens have been provided by Barry Bolton (details):

One worker syntype and one queen syntype in Oxford University Museum of Natural History (on a single piece of card); one worker syntype in The Natural History Museum. The Oxford University Museum of Natural History specimens have a Donisthorpe type-label and the The Natural History Museum specimen has a Donisthorpe “compared with type” label. However, when the writing on the underside of the stage cards is consulted, it becomes obvious that all three were originally mounted together and that the card has been divided at a later date.

The underside of the stage card of the The Natural History Museum specimen has, “P”, plus part of a letter “D,” and “Ceram.” The Oxford University Museum of Natural History card has “Dolomedes” (with part of the “D” missing). The two cards fit together perfectly to read, “P, Dolomedes. Ceram” (= Seram I.).

Polyrhachis schang gracilior type material.

Syntype workers, queens, males and ergatogynes from Ambon I., Indonesia, Leitimor, Hito (V. Karavaiev # 2501, 2503) (IZAS, Queensland Museum) (examined by Kohout, 2012).

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 (Leitimor und Hito), 20.II.1913 (Nr. 2501, 2503), ww, geflüg. qq, 1 Königin, mm und 2 Ergatogynen”.

Original Karawajew label(-s): “Polyrhachis (Myrmatopa) / schang For. v. amboinae Sant. / (n. nom.). Amboina, Karavaev, / 2502, 2503, 2504”.

Material: SYNTYPES, 4 w, 2 q, 2 m (newly mounted, IN 314/6/1), 142 w, 10 q, 13 m (in alcohol, IN 314/BAMS1/Karaw7–10).

Notes. In his original description Karawajew (1927a) provided the collection numbers 2501 and 2503 for the type series of this taxon, while in the single vial with alcohol material in NMNH NASU there are original Karawajew labels with collection numbers 2502, 2503 and 2504. We investigated several tens of workers, queens and males from this vial and confirm their conspecificity. We may only suppose that Karawajew did not provide all the collection numbers when describing this taxon, and we consider all the material from NMNH NASU as syntypes.

Description

References

Donisthorpe, H. 1932c. On the identity of Smith's types of Formicidae (Hymenoptera) collected by Alfred Russell Wallace in the Malay Archipelago, with descriptions of two new species. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 10(10): 441-476 (page 469, Combination in P. (Myrmatopa))
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. 2012. A review of the Australian Polyrhachis ants of the subgenera Myrma Billberg, Myrmatopa Forel, Myrmothrinax Forel and Polyrhachis Fr. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Nature 56(1): 25-59.
Latumahina, F., Borovanska, M., Musyafa, Sumardi, Susetya Putra, N., Janda, M. 2015. Ants of Ambon Island – diversity survey and checklist. ZooKeys 472, 43–57 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.472.8441).
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).
Smith, F. 1863a. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the islands of Mysol, Ceram, Waigiou, Bouru and Timor. J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. Zool. 7: 6-48 (page 14, worker, queen described)
Smith, F. 1863a. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the islands of Mysol, Ceram, Waigiou, Bouru and Timor. J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. Zool. 7: 6-48 (page 16, worker described)
Smith, F. 1871a. A catalogue of the Aculeate Hymenoptera and Ichneumonidae of India and the Eastern Archipelago. With introductory remarks by A. R. Wallace. [part]. J. Linn. Soc. Lond. Zool. 11: 285-348 (page 316, Replacement name: derecyna)

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
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
Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
Kohout R. J. 2012. A review of the Australian Polyrhachis ants of the subgenera Myrma Billberg, Myrmatopa Forel, Myrmothrinax Forel and Polyrhachis Fr. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 56(1): 25-59.
Latumahina F., M. Borovanska, N. S. Putra, and M. Janda. 2015. Ants of Ambon Island diversity survey and checklist. ZooKeys 472: 4357.
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
Smith F. 1863. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the islands of Mysol, Ceram, Waigiou, Bouru and Timor. Journal and Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. Zoology 7: 6-48.
Viehmeyer H. 1912. Ameisen aus Deutsch Neuguinea gesammelt von Dr. O. Schlaginhaufen. Nebst einem Verzeichnisse der papuanischen Arten. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königlichen Zoologischen und Anthropologische-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden 14: 1-26.