Polyrhachis mkomaziae

Polyrhachis mkomaziae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Polyrhachis
Species:	P. mkomaziae
Binomial name
	Polyrhachis mkomaziae; Taylor & McGavin, 2020

This rarely encountered species is known from a single collection of three specimens found on Terminalia brownii, at Mkomazi, Tanzania, by G. McGavin in 1996. Possibly the Polyrhachis cubaensis listed by Robertson (1999).

Photo Gallery

Taylor & McGavin (2020), Fig. 4. Holotype of Polyrhachis mkomaziae. A, Lateral view. B, Frontal view of head. C, Dorsal view. D, Gaster. E, Anterior of petiole. F, Anterior oblique view of propodeum margin. G, Enlarged view of the clypeus.
Taylor & McGavin (2020), Fig. 5. Paratype of Polyrhachis mkomaziae. A, Lateral view. B, Frontal view of head. C, Dorsal view. D, Anterior of petiole. E, Anterior oblique view of propodeum margin. F, Gaster.

Identification

The Polyrhachis worker key of Bolton (1973) leads to the following separation:

Head with arcuate anterior margin to clypeus.
Pronotum marginate throughout its entire length.
Metanotal groove represented by a line, not all impressed.
Antennal scapes without erect hairs, other at the apices.
Sculpture of mesosoma a reticulate puncturation.
Propodeum with a transverse raised ridge between the spines and raised medially into a distinct tooth.
Gaster with fine sculpture but not striate.

At couplet 23 the separation is: Polyrhachis viscosa with the scape apex suddenly broadened and flat eyes; and, scape apex not suddenly broadened and convex eyes. The latter separated into Polyrhachis spinicola, without a propodeal median tooth or tubercle, propodeal spines outcurved posterolaterally; and, Polyrhachis cubaensis, with a median propodeal tooth, the propodeal spines directed upwards and upcurved. Without sight and no illustration of P. cubaensis, which he listed as “holotype worker, South Africa, Natal”, nor sight of any others, Bolton synonymized Polyrhachis gerstaeckeri, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Polyrhachis cubaensis striolatorugosa (currently a junior synonym of Polyrhachis gerstaeckeri), and Polyrhachis wilmsi. He did examine four workers from “Zululand, collector G. Arnold”.

Keys including this Species

Key to Afrotropical Polyrhachis species

Distribution

Distribution based on type material

Tanzania (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

mkomaziae. Polyrhachis mkomaziae Taylor & McGavin, 2020: 15, figs. 4-5 (w.) TANZANIA.

Type Material

Holotype. TANZANIA: Mkomazi, 16.i.1996 (G McGavin); single finding of three specimens on Terminalia brownii (Tree 3/68).
Paratype worker. HL 1.55, HW 1.40, CI 90 (HW/HL X 100), SL 1.65, SI 118 (SL/HW X 100), FW 0.50, FI 36, PW 1.20 (1.30 across spine apices). Matching the holotype but slightly smaller.

Description

References