Polyrhachis hashimotoi

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Polyrhachis hashimotoi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Polyrhachis
Subgenus: Campomyrma
Species: P. hashimotoi
Binomial name
Polyrhachis hashimotoi
Kohout, 2007

Polyrhachis-hashimotoi-lateral-am-lg n 1.jpg

Polyrhachis-hashimotoi-dorsal-am-lg.jpg

Holotype Specimen Label

Nothing is known about the biology of Polyrhachis hashimotoi.

Identification

A member of the xiphias species-group. Kohout (2007) - Polyrhachis hashimotoi is very similar to Polyrhachis xiphias Fr. Smith, 1863 from New Guinea and Polyrhachis shixingensis Wu & Wang described in 1995 from Shixing County of Guangdong Province, China and also collected on Dongkho I., Vietnam, by A.G. Radchenko (IZAS). The clypeus of all three species has a median carina arising from the truncate and shallowly emarginate clypeal margin. However, in P. shixingensis the carina is short, strongly raised and sharp, in P. xiphias it is weakly and evenly raised throughout its length and in P. hashimotoi it is rather flat and blunt anteriorly. The dorsum of the petiole in P. hashimotoi is distinctly higher than the bases of petiolar spines, which are situated below the convex summit of the petiole. In contrast, in P. xiphias and P. shixingensis the petiolar spines arise from the summit of the petiole.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo (type locality), Indonesia, Malaysia.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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

Sexuals and immature stages unknown.

Nomenclature

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

  • hashimotoi. Polyrhachis hashimotoi Kohout, 2007c: 12, figs. 7, 8 (w.) BORNEO.

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

Description

Worker

Dimensions of holotype: TL c. 6.95; HL 1.75; HW 1.47; CI 84; SL 1.62; SI 110; PW 1.03; MTL 1.84.

Mandibles with 5 teeth, reducing in length towards base. Anterior clypeal margin truncate, with truncate portion somewhat jagged, notched medially and laterally flanked by distinct denticles. Clypeus in profile weakly concave, with blunt carina that is more raised posteriorly; basal margin shallowly impressed medially, laterally represented by thin line. Frontal triangle distinct. Frontal carinae sinuate, with margins only weakly raised anteriorly; carinae flat, short and weakly converging posteriorly; central area relatively wide, almost flat with weakly marked frontal furrow. Sides of head in front of eyes rounding into mandibular bases; behind eyes rounding abruptly and narrowly onto virtually flat occipital margin. Eyes rather flat, breaking lateral cephalic outline in full face view. Ocelli lacking; their relative positions indicated by shallow punctures in cephalic sculpturation. Pronotum in dorsal view with lateral margins rounded without indication of humeral angles, margings very narrowly, but distinctly upturned; mesonotal dorsum with lateral margins converging posteriorly, their posterior angles distinctly raised and continuous medially, forming a transverse ridge that divides dorsum of mesonotum from somewhat stepped propodeum. Lateral margins of propodeal dorsum subparallel, extending posteriorly and forming relatively long, somewhat dorso-medially flattened spines, their inner margins continuous medially, forming, in dorsal view, a reverse, ‘U’ shaped ridge, that separates propodeal dorsum from concave declivity. Petiole with anterior face convex, posterior face weakly concave; dorsum rather acute, extending laterally and posteriorly and forming posteriorly directed, subparallel spines with their extreme tips bent weakly outwards. Anterior face of first gastral segment relatively low, weakly concave at base, narrowly rounding onto dorsum of segment.

Dorsum of head and mesosoma finely reticulate-punctate; sides of mesosoma very finely reticulate-wrinkled. Gaster very finely shagreened, rather polished.

Mandibles with numerous, rather short, curved, golden hairs near masticatory margins and piliferous pits towards their bases. Anterior clypeal margin with two long setae medially and few short setae fringing margin laterally. Clypeus with a few pairs of erect, medium length, golden hairs near anterior and basal margins. Frontal carinae and vertex each with a pair of shorter erect hairs. Fore coxae with several long, anteriorly directed, erect hairs; a few short, erect hairs fringing subpetiolar process anteriorly. Gastral apex and ventral apical segments with numerous, rather long, erect hairs. Closely appressed pubescence distributed sporadically over most of body, distinctly more abundant on gastral dorsum. Somewhat longer, semierect and curved, rather dense pubescence on anterior gastral venter.

Black; anterior portion of mandibles, except teeth, and legs, including coxae, medium to dark reddish-brown. Funiculi dark reddish brown at base, with subsequent segments progressively lighter and apical segments rather light yellow. Condylae and apical tarsal segments light yellow. Dorsum of gaster very dark reddish-brown with apical segments and venter blotched light to medium reddish-brown.

Type Material

HOLOTYPE: EAST MALAYSIA, SABAH, 10 km S of Danum Valley Field Centre, Reduced Impact Logging Project Area, 20.vii.-25.viii.1994, Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation coll. (worker). Type deposition: Unique holotype in ITBC.

Etymology

Named in honour of Assoc. Prof. Dr Hashimoto Yoshiaki of the Museum of Human Activities, University of Hyogo, Japan, in appreciation of his excellent work in producing digital images of Bornean, Southeast Asian and Australian Polyrhachis for my ongoing work on taxonomy of the genus.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Kohout R. J. 2013. A review of the Polyrhachis xiphias species-group of the subgenus Campomyrma Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Asian Myrmecology 5: 21-27.
  • Kohout R.J. 2007. A review of the subgenus Polyrhachis (Campomyrma) Wheeler from Borneo with descriptions of new species. Asian Myrmecology 1: 7-17.
  • 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