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Polyrhachis quadrispinosa
| Polyrhachis quadrispinosa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Polyrhachis |
| Subgenus: | Campomyrma |
| Species: | P. quadrispinosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Polyrhachis quadrispinosa Jaitrong & Noon-anant, 2023 | |
The type series of Polyrhachis quadrispinosa was collected from a dead twig hanging on a tree in a rubber tree plantation near a limestone cave.
Photo Gallery
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Identification
Polyrhachis quadrispinosa is similar to Polyrhachis cedarensis, Polyrhachis hexacantha, Polyrhachis ops, Polyrhachis phryne and Polyrhachis sidnica (all from Australia) in having long propodeal spine and four long petiolar spines dorsally and lacking standing hairs on body.
Polyrhachis quadrispinosa is easily distinguished from P. cedarensis by the following characteristics:
- median spines on petiole shorter than lateral spines (slightly longer than lateral spines in P. cedarensis)
- head macropunctate without striation (with longitudinal striation in P. cedarensis)
- head round, posterolateral corner of head broadly convex (head subrectangular, posterolateral corner of head distinctly convex as in P. cedarensis)
Polyrhachis quadrispinosa differs from P. hexacantha by:
- pronotum in dorsal view, with anterolateral corner roundly convex without process or spine (with distinct blunt spine in P. hexacantha)
- pronotum punctate, with irregular striation (without striation in P. hexacantha)
- propodeal spine entirely punctate (base of propodeal spine somewhat smooth and shiny in P. hexacantha)
Polyrhachis quadrispinosa can be distinguished from P. ops by:
- propodeal spine long, longer than broad at base (shorter than broad at base in P. ops)
- head round (head subrectangular in P. ops)
- with pronotum in dorsal view, anterolateral corner roundly convex without produced conner or spine (right-angled in P. ops).
Polyrhachis quadrispinosa can be separated from P. phryne by the following characteristics:
- pronotum in dorsal view, anterolateral corner roundly convex without produced corner or spine (with blunt angle in P. phryne)
- head and mesosoma macropunctate (puncto-reticulate in P. phryne)
- propodeal spine long, longer than its base (shorter than or about the same length of its base in P. phryne).
Polyrhachis quadrispinosa is separated from P. sidnica by:
- in dorsal view metanotal groove distinct (invisible in P. sidnica)
- in profile propodeal spine straight (slightly curved upward in in P. sidnica)
- head in full-face view, eye weakly convex, its outer margin slightly extending beyond lateral margin of head (distinctly convex, distinctly extending beyond lateral margin of head in P. sidnica)
- anterolateral corner in dorsal view roundly convex, not produced as process or spine (produced as a short tooth or denticle in P. sidnica)
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 13° to 3°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Jaitrong et al., 2023
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Malaysia.
Oriental Region: Thailand (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. |
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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
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- quadrispinosa. Polyrhachis quadrispinosa Jaitrong & Noon-anant, in Jaitrong et al., 2023: 305, figs. 1A, 7, 8 (w.q.) THAILAND.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
(holotype and paratype workers, n = 10): TL 4.00–4.55, HL 1.45–1.70, HW1 1.30–1.55, HW2 1.40–1.65, SL 1.35–1.40, ML 1.60–1.85, PW 0.95–1.05, MTL 1.40–1.50, CI 89–97, SI 90–103.
Head in full-face view almost as long as broad (CI 89–97) with posterior margin broadly convex. Frontal lobe in full-face view narrow, not covering antennal socket. Frontal carina in profile view elevated, in full-face view weakly sinuate, and reaching level of mid-length of eye. Clypeus in dorsal view broad and weakly convex, its anterior margin almost straight medially and posterior margin broadly convex but very weakly concave medially. Mandible subtriangular, its masticatory margin with five distinct teeth (including smallest basal and largest apical teeth). Antennal scape clavate, relatively short, about 0.85–0.96 times as long as head width (SI 90–103) including eyes. Eye located just posterior to mid-length of head laterally, weakly convex, slightly protruding from the lateral margin of head.
Mesosoma box-like, its dorsum distinctly marginate laterally along entire length. Pronotum in dorsal view weakly convex, distinctly shorter than broad, anterior margin convex, posterior margin feebly concave, and anterolateral corner roundly convex, not produced as process or spine; lateral face of pronotum in profile subtriangular. In dorsal view mesonotum sub-trapezoidal, slightly shorter than broad and almost as long as pronotum; with mesosoma in profile view mesopleuron flat, divided into small upper portion and large lower portion by shallow impression; mesopleuron, metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum continuous, without any distinct suture between them. Propodeal dorsum excluding spines almost as long as broad, and shorter than mesonotum; propodeum with long spines, almost as long as petiolar spines, and pointed backward and slightly up curved. Petiole with 4 long spines dorsally (2 median spines slightly shorter than lateral spines); petiolar node (excluding spines) shorter than high; subpetiolar process indistinct.
Mandible, antenna, and clypeus finely micropunctate; head, mesosoma, and petiole entirely macropunctate, except for irregularly striate pronotum; propodeal spine entirely punctate; gaster finely micropunctate; legs micropunctate.
Entire body without erect hairs, except for a few hairs on mandibles, anterior clypeal margin and tip of gaster. Eye essentially without erect hairs. Body black; legs reddish brown.
Queen
TL 5.95, HL 1.95, HW1 1.65, HW2 1.80, SL 1.50, ML 2.55, PW 1.40, MTL 1.75, CI 85, SI 91.
In general habitus including coloration and pilosity similar to worker except for caste-specific structures. Body slightly larger with head width including eyes 1.80 mm (1.50 mm in worker). Eye larger and more prominent; ocelli arranged in low triangle. Anterolateral corner of pronotal dorsum round, without any projection. Mesoscutum in dorsal view slightly shorter than broad, with parapsidal line in posterior half of its length; mesopleuron divided into upper and lower sections by groove; lower section about 2 times as large as upper section. Metanotum in dorsal view short (‘narrow’), indented, sharply demarcated from propodeum by deep furrow; metapleuron barely differentiated from mesopleuron, completely fused with lateral face of propodeum; propodeal spines short, blunt; propodeal declivity concave. Spines on petiole distinctly shorter than in worker.
Type Material
- Holotype worker (THNHM-I-00027172, THNHM), S Thailand, Trang Province, Palian District, Ban Li Phang, near Khai Ting Cave, rubber tree plantation, 7º9′35′′N, 99º48′01′′E, 19.V.2022, W. Jaitrong leg., TH22-WJT-155.
- Paratypes: 14 workers (THNHM-I-00027173 to THNHM-I-00027183 and THNHM-I-00027185 to THNHMI-00027187, THNHM), 1 worker (SKY190522-1, SKYC) and 1 queen (THNHM-I-00027188, THNHM), same data as holotype.
Etymology
The specific epithet, quadrispinosa, refers to the two pairs of (i.e., four) conspicuous spines on the petiole dorsum.