Polyrhachis hoffmanni

Polyrhachis hoffmanni
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Polyrhachis
Subgenus:	Hagiomyrma
Species group:	penelope
Species:	P. hoffmanni
Binomial name
Polyrhachis hoffmanni Kohout, 2013

Nothing is known about the biology of Polyrhachis hoffmanni.

Identification

A member of the penelope species-group in the Polyrhachis subgenus Hagiomyrma. Kohout (2013) - Polyrhachis hoffmanni is very similar to the sympatric Polyrhachis archeri and Polyrhachis anderseni but differs in the shape of the petiolar node, as discussed in the remarks section of P. archeri. Polyrhachis hoffmanni can also be easily separated by the relatively long hairs on most body surfaces which are completely absent in the two other species.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -18.5° to -19°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

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.

Castes

Males and immature stages unknown.

Nomenclature

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

• hoffmanni. Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) hoffmanni Kohout, 2013: 538, figs. 7E-F (w.) AUSTRALIA.

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

Description

Worker

(holotype cited first): TL c. 6.60, 5.81-6.69; HL 1.62, 1.53- 1.62; HW 1.34, 1.25-1.34; CI 83, 82-83; SL 1.87, 1.75-1.87; SI 139, 133-142; PW 1.31, 1.20-1.31; MW 0.87, 0.78-0.87; PMI 150, 149-156; MTL 2.09, 1.93-2.09 (5 measured).

Anterior clypeal margin with denticulate median flange, laterally flanked by distinct, acute teeth. Clypeus with median carina; almost straight in profile, posteriorly rounding into shallow basal margin. Frontal triangle distinct. Frontal carinae with weakly and narrowly raised margins anteriorly, flat posteriorly; central area relatively wide with distinct frontal furrow. Sides of head in front of eyes converging in straight line towards mandibular bases; behind eyes, sides widely rounding into convex occipital margin. Eyes moderately convex, in full face view clearly exceeding lateral cephalic outline. Ocelli lacking. Pronotal humeri widely rounded; dorsum distinctly wider than long, widest near mid-length. Promesonotal suture distinct; mesonotal lateral margins converging posteriorly towards medially indistinct metanotal groove. Propodeum armed with relatively short, weakly divergent spines. Petiolar dorsum distinctly concave medially, armed with divergent, weakly elevated, acute spines; posterior face of petiole strongly convex. Anterior face of first gastral tergite distinctly higher that full height of petiole, widely rounding onto dorsum.

Mandibles densely longitudinally striate with piliferous pits towards masticatory borders. Head, mesosoma and petiole closely reticulate-punctate. Spines sculptured from bases, tips smooth and polished Gaster shagreened with sculpture distinctly coarser on dorsum.

Mandibles at masticatory and along outer borders with several, anteriorly inclined, golden hairs. Anterior clypeal margin medially with a few, anteriorly directed setae and fringe of shorter setae laterally. Several, mostly paired, rather long, curved hairs on clypeus, along frontal carinae, vertex and occipital corners; no hairs breaking lateral cephalic outline between eyes and mandibular bases in full frontal view. Long, variously curved hairs, as long as or longer than greatest diameter of eyes, scattered over most body surfaces. Gaster with abundant, long, posteriorly inclined, silvery hairs. Relatively long, silvery, appressed pubescence, generally untidy and rather diluted on dorsum of head and mesosoma; pubescence somewhat denser on pronotal shoulders and propodeal declivity. Gaster with abundant, golden, appressed pubescence on dorsum, completely hiding underlying sculpturation; pubescence silvery and much diluted on gastral venter.

Black; mandibles relatively light, reddish-brown, with teeth and outer borders lined with black. Clypeus, central area and appendages medium to dark reddish-brown; anterior clypeal margin and frontal carinae with narrow black margins. Gaster distinctly reddish-brown on venter.

Queen

TL c. 8.01; HL 1.78; HW 1.43; CI 80; SL 1.90; SI 133; PW 1.72; MTL 2.15 (1 measured). Apart from sexual characters very similar to worker except: mesoscutum wider than long with virtually flat dorsum in lateral view; median line distinct; parapsides flat. Mesoscutellum weakly convex, only marginally elevated above dorsal plane of mesosoma. Propodeal spines very short, bases broad; petiolar spines shorter than in worker, distinctly obliquely elevated, divergent. Sculpturation, pilosity and pubescence identical to worker. Colour generally as in worker, with only mandibles and appendages very dark, reddish-brown.

Type Material

• Holotype, worker, c. 6 km NW of Riversleigh Station, Queensland, Australia, 19°0′0″S 138°41′0″E, 18‑26.x.1977, R.J. Kohout, R.J. Kohout acc. 77.22, QMT174511, Queensland Museum.
• Paratype, 4 workers, c. 6 km NW of Riversleigh Station, Queensland, Australia, 19°0′0″S 138°41′0″E, 18‑26.x.1977, R.J. Kohout, R.J. Kohout acc. 77.22.
• Paratype, 4 workers, Lawn Hill Station, CRA Century Project, Queensland, Australia, 18°30′0″S 138°10′0″E, iv.& ix.1991, A.N. Andersen.

Type deposition: Holotype and 1 paratype in Queensland Museum; 1 paratype each in Australian National Insect Collection, The Natural History Museum and Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Etymology

Named in honour of one of the collectors, Ben Hoffmann, of the CSIRO, TERC, Darwin, who has collected extensively across the Northern Territory, including Arnhem Tableland and adjacent islands.

References

• Kohout, R. J. 2013c. Revision of Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) Wheeler, 1911 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum - Nature 56:487-577. PDF

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Kohout R.J. 2013. Revision of Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) Wheeler, 1911 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Nature 56: 487–577