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Polyrhachis halidayi

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Polyrhachis halidayi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Polyrhachis
Subgenus: Campomyrma
Species group: creusa
Species: P. halidayi
Binomial name
Polyrhachis halidayi
Emery, 1889

Specimen Labels

Polyrhachis halidayi inhabits both primary (dry evergreen, mixed deciduous, hill evergreen) and disturbed forests from lowland to highland (250–1500m a.s.l.). Although Wong and Guénard (2020) reported these ants nesting sites as arboreal in-between leaves, our data show that the species use rotting wood on forest floor, dead bamboo stems, and twigs on trees as nesting sites (Jaitrong et al., 2023).

Identification

Jaitrong et al. (2023) - Polyrhachis halidayi is similar to Polyrhachis quadrispinosa and Polyrhachis lao. They share the scalelike petiole, with two acute spines projecting dorsolaterally, and two denticles in between. However, P. halidayi can be easily separated from the latter two by the propodeal spine, short and pointed upward (propodeal spine longer, subtriangular, pointed backward in the latter two); first gastral tergite with sparse standing hairs (without hairs in the latter two).

Polyrhachis halidayi belongs to Polyrhachis creusa species group. It is similar to Polyrhachis creusa. However, P. halidayi can be separated from P. creusa by:

  1. erect hairs on gastral tergites I and II (without hairs in P. creusa)
  2. weak or without striation on pronotum (distinct striation on pronotum in P. creusa)
  3. anterior clypeal margin convex medially without denticles (feebly concave and serrate in P. creusa)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 22.88333333° to 14.5938478°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: India, Laos, Myanmar (type locality), Thailand, Vietnam.
Palaearctic Region: China.

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

Association with Other Organisms

 Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
  • This species is a host for the fungus Ophiocordyceps formicarum (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the fungus Ophiocordyceps irangiensis (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the fungus Ophiocordyceps myrmecophila (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).

Castes

  • Jaitrong et al. (2023), Fig. 2. Polyrhachis halidayi (non-type worker, THNHM-I-00027200). A. Body in profile view; B. head in full-face view; C. body in dorsal view.
  • Jaitrong et al. (2023), Fig. 3. Polyrhachis halidayi (non-type queen, THNHM-I-00027206). A. Body in profile view; B. head in full-face view; C. body in dorsal view.
  • Jaitrong et al. (2023), Fig. 4. Polyrhachis halidayi (non-type male, THNHM-I-00027205). A. Body in profile view; B. head in full-face view; C. body in dorsal view.
  • Jaitrong et al. (2023), Fig. 5. Male genitalia of Polyrhachis halidayi. A. Pygostyle in profile; B. abdominal sternite IX; C. paramere, right side, in outer view; D. paramere and volsella, right side, inner view; E. penisvalva, right side, in outer view; F. genital capsule in dorsal view. Abbreviations: Bm basimere; Dg digitus; Tm telomere; Vo volsella.
  • Liu, C. et al. 2020. Ants of the Hengduan Mountains, Figure 46, Polyrhachis halidayi.

Images from AntWeb

Worker. Specimen code casent0906323. Photographer Estella Ortega, 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.

  • halidayi. Polyrhachis halidayi Emery, 1889b: 517 (w.) MYANMAR. Bingham, 1903: 413 (q.). Combination in P. (Campomyrma): Emery, 1925b: 180.

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

Description

Worker

Jaitrong et al. (2023) - (n = 10): TL 6.80–8.80, HL 1.88–1.96, HW1 1.52–1.80, HW2 1.60–1.80, SL 1.84–1.92, ML 2.16–2.28, PW 1.16–1.32, MTL 1.52–1.64, CI 81–92, SI 107–121.

Head in full-face view slightly longer than broad (CI 81–92), broader posteriorly. Lateral margins of head in front of eye slightly convex, converging towards bases of mandibles, behind eye rounding into curved occipital margin. Frontal lobe in full-face view narrow, not covering antennal socket. Frontal carina in full-face view sinuate, moderately raised in profile. Clypeus in dorsal view shield-shaped, with distinct median carina; anterior margin roundly convex, not coarsely rugged, medially shallowly incised; posterior margin weakly concave medially. Mandible subtriangular, its masticatory margin with five distinct teeth (including smallest basal and largest apical teeth). Antennal scape slender and slightly longer than head width (SI 107–121); antennal segments II to XII longer than broad, gradually decreasing in length toward tip of antenna, but apical segment longest, with segments II and XII slightly longer. Eye located at posterior part of head, facing anterolaterally; moderately convex, slightly exceeding lateral cephalic outline in full-face view.

Mesosoma box-like, its dorsum distinctly marginate along the entire length. Pronotum in profile with very weakly convex dorsal outline; in dorsal view subtrapezoidal, slightly broader anteriorly, with anterior margin arcuate and anterolateral corner bluntly angular. Promesonotal suture distinct; mesonotum in profile view with flat dorsal outline; in dorsal view narrower than pronotum but broader than propodeum; its anterior margin arcuate. Metanotal groove laterally impressed, medially indistinct; propodeal dorsum posteriorly armed with short, upturned teeth. Petiole scale-like with two acute spines projecting posterolaterally, and two denticles in between in dorsal view.

Mandibles micropunctate but slightly shiny. Frontal face of head costate. Mesosoma with costate dorsum and macropunctate lateral face. Legs micropunctate. Gaster finely shagreened.

Vertex with 2 erect hairs; eye with very sparse minute erect hairs; mesosomal dorsum and petiole without erect hairs; gastral tergite with sparse short erect and dense pale yellow decumbent hairs.

Body black; scapes, coxae, tarsi and gaster reddish-brown to black; eye brown, dark reddish brown or grey; condylar bulbs, apical flagellar segments, and gastral tip yellowish to dark reddish brown; palps and claws yellow to brown; most of legs, except coxae and tarsi, brown or light to dark reddish-brown.

Queen

Jaitrong et al. (2023) - (n = 3): TL 8.68–8.80, HL 2.04–2.12, HW1 1.72, HW2 1.88–1.92, SL 1.96–2.00, ML 2.80–2.96, PW 1.56–1.60, MTL 1.52–1.68, CI 81–84, SI 114–116.

In general habitus including coloration and pilosity the queen is similar to the worker except for caste-specific structures. Body larger with head width including eyes 1.88–1.92 mm (1.60–1.80mm in worker). Eye larger and more prominent, essentially without erect hairs; ocelli arranged in low triangle. Anterior clypeal margin with distinct median notch and blunter median carina. Anterolateral corner of pronotum in dorsal view reduced to protrusions. Mesoscutum in profile view with convex dorsal outline, with anterior one-third sloping and the rest almost flat; in dorsal view median line very short, only reaching 1/5 length of mesoscutum; parapsides flat. Mesoscutellar disc flat. Metanotum medially very short but longer laterally, much lower than mesoscutellum and propodeum. Propodeal and petiolar spines smaller than those of workers. Mesosomal dorsum with dozens of brown erect hairs.

Male

Jaitrong et al. (2023) - (n = 5): TL 6.30–6.37, HL 1.16–1.19, HW1 0.83, HW2 1.16–1.19, SL 1.35–1.39, ML 2.41–2.44, PW 1.42–1.49, MTL 1.98–2.01, CI 69–71, SI 164–168.

With general characteristics of Polyrhachis males (Wong and Guénard, 2020). Head in full-face view longer than broad, but if including eyes, then almost as long as broad. Clypeus broad, posteriorly clearly demarcated from frons, with posteromedian margin shallowly emarginate medially, anteriorly broadly convex, with anterior margin entire but weakly serrate. Mandible weakly widened apicad, with outer and basal margins almost parallel, twice as long as broad; masticatory margin short and edentate (masticatory margin with small denticles in some specimens) with apex bluntly pointed. Eye large, positioned at mid-length of lateral face of head; distance between mandibular base and anterior margin of eye (malar space) 0.76 times as long as maximum diameter of eye; ocelli relatively small, arranged in very low triangle; distance between anterior and posterior ocelli slightly longer than diameter of anterior ocellus. Antennal scape moderately long, distinctly longer than head width including eyes.

Mesosoma in dorsal view much broader than head including eyes. Pronotum short (‘narrow’), almost entirely concealed by inflated mesoscutum. Mesoscutum with short longitudinal median line, without notaulus; parapsidal line distinct and long, running along border of lateral and dorsal faces; scuto-scutellar sulcus prominent; mesoscutellum subtriangular, much narrower than mesoscutum, distinctly narrowed posteriad. Metanotum short (‘narrow’), deeply indented, clearly defined from propodeum with deep furrow. With mesosoma in profile view, pronotum much lower than mesoscutum, with steep anterior slope, without dorsal face. Mesoscutum convex with gently sloping anterior slope and rather flat posterior portion; mesopleuron in profile large, divided into anepisternum and katepisternum, the latter being larger than the former; mesoscutellum slightly higher than mesoscutum, with rounded posterodorsal corner. Propodeum in profile without distinct separation of dorsum from declivity; spines absent; spiracle elongate, located on lateral face anterior to posterior margin. Petiole in dorsal view slightly broader than long; in profile globular, slightly longer than high. Gaster relatively long but slightly smaller than mesosoma; gastral tergite II almost as long as each of gastral tergites III–V but shorter and smaller than gastral tergite I.

Almost the entire head and thorax minutely and densely sculptured in various patterns and matt; lateral face of mesoscutellum essentially smooth and shiny. Propodeum and gaster sculpture weaker and more superficial than on head and thorax, and faintly shiny.

Dorsum of head with sparse appressed pubescence and sparse erect/suberect hairs. Clypeus with several pairs of long suberect/decumbent hairs. Mandible with shorter decumbent hairs in apical portion. Dorsum of mesosoma with appressed pubescence that is denser and longer than those on head; erect/suberect hairs generally absent on mesoscutum, but present on mesoscutellum; propodeum lacking such hairs. Petiole densely covered with erect hairs over surface. Gastral tergites covered with dense appressed pubescence; erect/suberect hairs few, many being confined to posterior portion of gaster; sternite without short pubescence but sparsely with longer appressed hairs. Antenna and legs covered with short appressed pubescence; longer hairs mostly confined to apices of scape, femora, tibiae, and tarsal segments. Body brown to dark reddish brown; legs and genitalia yellowish or light brown; maxillary and labial palpi yellowish.

Genitalia. Pygostyle clavate, long (about 0.2 mm), its apical one-third brown with dense erect hairs, while basal two-third narrow, whitish, without hairs. Abdominal sternite IX (subgenital plate) subtrapezoid, almost as long as broad; posterior margin of abdominal sternite IX weakly convex with median portion produced; ventral face of the segment, along posterior margin with several erect hairs; anterior margin of abdominal sternite IX roundly convex. Genital capsule slightly broader than long. Paramere in profile relatively large; telomerer narrow, long, truncate at apex, with clear articulation to basimere; telomere with dense erect hairs, hairs on its apex longer than elsewhere; basimere in profile large, almost as long as high, its outer face divided into two parts (upper and lower) by transverse suture. Volsella linear, dorsal, and ventral outlines sinuate; digitus short, its apex broadly convex, dorsal margin convex, while ventral margin feebly concave; ventral margin of volsella with ca. 20 long hairs. Valviceps in profile broad, broadened posteriorly, clearly longer than high; anteroventral corner weakly produced; ventral margin convex, serrated with over 20 denticles.

Type Material


References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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