Polyrhachis nigriceps

Polyrhachis nigriceps
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Polyrhachis
Subgenus:	Myrmhopla
Species:	P. nigriceps
Binomial name
Polyrhachis nigriceps Smith, F., 1863 Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Polyrhachis atalanta Emery Emery, 1898 Polyrhachis kirkae Donisthorpe, 1937

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -1.833° to -8.65°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea (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

Images from AntWeb

Holotype of Polyrhachis nigriceps. Worker. Specimen code casent0901822. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by OUM, Oxford, UK.

Holotype of Polyrhachis kirkae. Worker. Specimen code casent0903366. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Worker. Specimen code casent0906762. Photographer Michele Esposito, 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.

• nigriceps. Polyrhachis nigriceps Smith, F. 1863: 17 (w.) NEW GUINEA. Combination in P. (Myrmhopla): Emery, 1925b: 192. Senior synonym of atalanta: Emery, 1925b: 192; of kirkae: Hung, 1971: 44.
• atalanta. Polyrhachis atalanta Emery, 1898b: 243, figs. 15, 16 (w.) NEW GUINEA. Junior synonym of nigriceps: Emery, 1925b: 192.
• kirkae. Polyrhachis (Florencea) kirkae Donisthorpe, 1937a: 624, figs. 5, 6 (w.) NEW GUINEA. Junior synonym of nigriceps: Hung, 1971: 44.

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

Polyrhachis nigriceps

Holotype worker in Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Labelled “Wag.” (= Waigeo I., New Guinea) and with a Donisthorpe type-label.

References

• Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 192, Combination in P. (Myrmhopla))
• Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 192, Senior synonym of atalanta)
• Hung, A. C. F. 1971. On the taxonomic status of Polyrhachis kirkae Donisthorpe and its presumed mimicry (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomol. News 82: 43-47 (page 44, Senior synonym of kirkae)
• Donisthorpe, H. 1937a. Some new forms of Formicidae and a correction. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 10(19): 619-628.
• 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 17, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Donisthorpe H. 1937. Some new forms of Formicidae and a correction. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (10)19: 619-628.
• Donisthorpe, Horace. 1941. The Ants of Japen Island, Dutch New Guinea (Hym. Formicidae). The Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London. 91(2):51-64.
• Donisthorpe, Horace. 1943. The Ants of Waigeu Island, North Dutch New Guinea. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History 11 (10): 433-475.
• 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
• Emery C. 1898. Descrizioni di formiche nuove malesi e australiane. Note sinonimiche. Rendiconti delle Sessioni della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna (n.s.)2: 231-245.
• Hung A. C. F. 1970. A revision of ants of the subgenus Polyrhachis Fr. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Oriental Insects 4: 1-36.
• Hung A. C. F. 1971. On the taxonomic status of Polyrhachis kirkae Donisthorpe and its presumed mimicry (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomological News 82: 43-47.
• 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.
• 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.
• Snelling R. R. 1998. Insect Part 1: The social Hymenoptera. In Mack A. L. (Ed.) A Biological Assessment of the Lakekamu Basin, Papua New Guinea, RAP 9. 189 ppages
• 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.