Polyrhachis rugifrons

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Polyrhachis rugifrons
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Polyrhachis
Subgenus: Myrmhopla
Species: P. rugifrons
Binomial name
Polyrhachis rugifrons
Smith, F., 1860

Polyrhachis rugifrons casent0901826 p 1 high.jpg

Polyrhachis rugifrons casent0901826 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Specimens have been collected from various forest habitats and from 140-1080 m in elevation.

Identification

A member of the Polyrhachis sexspinosa species group.

Kohout (2008) - The two sexspinosa-group species known from Sulawesi are distinguished as follows:

  • Pronotal spines short, straight, directed laterally in virtually right angle to main axis of body . . . . . Polyrhachis rugifrons
  • Pronotal spines bull-horn shaped, curving laterally and anteriorly . . . . . Polyrhachis spinosa

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -1.833° to -4.833333333°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

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

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

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Polyrhachis rugifrons casent0906760 h 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis rugifrons casent0906760 p 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis rugifrons casent0906760 d 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis rugifrons casent0906760 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0906760. 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.

  • rugifrons. Polyrhachis rugifrons Smith, F. 1860a: 70 (w.q.) INDONESIA (Sulawesi). Combination in P. (Myrmhopla): Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 130. Subspecies of sexspinosa: Emery, 1897d: 591. Revived status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 130; Emery, 1925b: 191; Karavaiev, 1927e: 25. See also: Bolton, 1975c: 11.

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

Description

Type Material

Kohout (2008) - Syntype worker, queen. Type locality: INDONESIA, SULAWESI, Makassar (A. R. Wallace), Oxford University Museum of Natural History (examined).

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

One worker syntype and one dealate queen syntype in Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Labelled “Mak.” (= Makassar, Sulawesi), the queen with a Donisthorpe type-label.

References

  • Bolton, B. 1975c. The sexspinosa-group of the ant genus Polyrhachis F. Smith (Hym. Formicidae). J. Entomol. Ser. B 44: 1-14.
  • Emery, C. 1897e. Viaggio di Lamberto Loria nella Papuasia orientale. XVIII. Formiche raccolte nella Nuova Guinea dal Dott. Lamberto Loria. [concl.]. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 38[=(2(18): 577-594 (page 591, Subspecies of sexspinosa)
  • Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 191, Revived status as species)
  • Karavaiev, V. 1927f. Ameisen aus dem Indo-Australischen Gebiet. III. Zb. Prats Zool. Muz. 3:3-52 [= Tr. Ukr. Akad. Nauk Fiz.-Mat. Vidd. 7:3-52]. (page 25, Revived status as species)
  • Kohout, R.J. 2008a. A review of the Polyrhachis ants of Sulawesi with keys and descriptions of new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 52:255-317.
  • Smith, F. 1860a. Descriptions of new species of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace at Celebes. J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. Zool. 5(17b)(suppl. to vol. 4 4: 57-93 (page 70, worker, queen described)
  • Wheeler, W. M. 1919f. The ants of Borneo. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 63: 43-147 (page 130, Combination in P. (Myrmhopla), Revived status as species)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton B. 1975. The sexspinosa-group of the ant genus Polyrhachis F. Smith (Hym. Formicidae). J. Entomol. Ser. B 44: 1-14
  • Donisthorpe H. 1949. A fifth instalment of the Ross Collection of ants from New Guinea. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (12)1: 487-506.
  • 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.
  • 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. 1901. Formiciden von Celebes. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 14:565-580.
  • Emery C. 1911. Formicidae. Résultats de l'expédition scientifique néerlandaise à la Nouvelle-Guinée en 1903 sous les auspices de Arthur Wichmann. Nova Guinea 5: 531-539.
  • Kohout R.J. 2008. A new Polyrhachis (Myrma) vestita-group species from Sulawesi. Zoologische Mededeelingen, Leiden 82: 297-302.
  • Kohout, R. J. 2008. A review of the Polyrhachis ants of Sulawesi with keys and descriptions of new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 52:255-317.
  • 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
  • Robson Simon Database Polyrhachis -05 Sept 2014
  • Smith F. 1861. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the islands of Ceram, Celebes, Ternate, and Gilolo. [part]. Journal and Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. Zoology 6: 36-48.
  • 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.
  • Smith F. 1865. Descriptions of new species of hymenopterous insects from the islands of Sumatra, Sula, Gilolo, Salwatty, and New Guinea, collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace. Journal and Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. Zoology 8: 61-94.
  • 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.
  • Viehmeyer H. 1914. Papuanische Ameisen. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1914: 515-535.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1919. The ants of Borneo. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 63:43-147.