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Polyrhachis schlueteri
| Polyrhachis schlueteri | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Polyrhachis |
| Subgenus: | Myrma |
| Species group: | militaris |
| Species: | P. schlueteri |
| Binomial name | |
| Polyrhachis schlueteri Forel, 1886
| |
| Synonyms | |
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Bolton (1973) - Arnold (1924:748) states that the species is limited to hot and moist localities, but otherwise nothing has been reported on the habits of this species. Alates have been recorded as follows: Tanzania: August. South Africa: January.
Identification
Bolton (1973) - A member of the Polyrhachis militaris species-group, from which schlueteri is very easily separated by the absence of standing hairs on the dorsum of the head, alitrunk and gaster and by the dense silver-grey pubescence.
Keys including this Species
- Key to Afrotropical Polyrhachis species
- Key to Afrotropical Polyrhachis species (Bolton 1973, OUTDATED)
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -3.91667° to -31.61667°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zimbabwe.
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
Worker
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0235676. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by AFRC, Pretoria, South Africa. |
Queen
Images from AntWeb
    
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| Type of Polyrhachis schlueteri indigens. Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0903458. Photographer Z. Lieberman, 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.
- schlueteri. Polyrhachis militaris r. schlueteri Forel, 1886f: 195 (w.) EAST AFRICA. Arnold, 1924: 748 (q.). Combination in P. (Myrma): Santschi, 1914b: 143. Raised to species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 268. Subspecies of schistacea: Santschi, 1914e: 42; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1003; Arnold, 1924: 747. Status as species: Forel, 1907g: 92; Forel, 1914d: 261; Santschi, 1914b: 143; Emery, 1925b: 200; Bolton, 1973b: 321. Senior synonym of indigens: Arnold, 1924: 747; of plebeia: Bolton, 1973b: 321.
- indigens. Polyrhachis (Myrma) schlueteri var. indigens Forel, 1914d: 261 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. Junior synonym of schlueteri: Arnold, 1924: 747.
- plebeia. Polyrhachis (Myrma) schlueteri var. plebeia Santschi, 1914b: 143 (w.) KENYA. Junior synonym of schlueteri: Bolton, 1973b: 321.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Bolton (1973) - TL 8.6-9.1, HL 2.00-2.23, HW 1.66-1.78, CI 79-85, SL 2.25-2.60, SI 142-149, PW 1.54-1.78, MTL 2.49-2.60. (15 measured).
Anterior clypeal margin arcuate and entire to weakly and shallowly impressed in the middle. Eyes strongly convex, situated well back on the sides of the head, which are slightly convex both in front of and behind the eyes. Behind the eyes the sides rounding gently into the weakly convex occipital margin. The shape of the head and placement of the eyes gives the ant a very long-faced appearance. Alitrunk marginate laterally throughout the length of the sides. Pronotal spines large, their outer borders continuous with the line of margination of the segment, not passing through an angle between the pronotum and the body of the spine. Propodeum with a pair of small, blunt tubercles. Promesonotal suture and metanotal groove distinct, the latter impressed. Petiole with a pair of strong dorsal spines subtended by a pair of laterally placed, broad, acute teeth. Anterior face of first gastral segment concave.
Erect hairs absent from all dorsal surfaces except the anterior clypeal margin and gastral apex. Pubescence extremely dense everywhere, hiding the sculpture and silver-grey in colour.
Sculpture everywhere of a fine, dense reticulation. Colour black, the legs usually brown-black.
Whole insect with a silvery appearance in life due to the dense pubescence.
Queen
Bolton (1973) - As worker apart from the usual modifications associated with the alitrunk.
Type Material
Bolton (1973) - Holotype worker, EAST AFRICA (Schluter) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève).
References
- Arnold, G. 1924. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part VI. Camponotinae. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 14: 675-766 (page 748, queen described; page 747, Subspecies of schistacea, Senior synonym of indigens)
- Bolton, B. 1973b. The ant genus Polyrhachis F. Smith in the Ethiopian region (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology. 28:283-369. (page 321, Status as species, Senior synonym of plebeia)
- Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 268, Raised to species)
- Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 200, Status as species)
- Forel, A. 1886h. Études myrmécologiques en 1886. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 30: 131-215 (page 195, worker described)
- Forel, A. 1907g. The Percy Sladen Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1905, under the leadership of Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner, M.A. VI. Fourmis des Seychelles, Amirantes, Farquhar et Chagos. Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. Zool. (2) 12: 91-94 (page 92, Status as species)
- Forel, A. 1914d. Formicides d'Afrique et d'Amérique nouveaux ou peu connus. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 50: 211-288 (page 261, Status as species)
- Rafiqi, A.M., Rajakumar, A., Abouheif, E. 2020. Origin and elaboration of a major evolutionary transition in individuality. Nature 585, 239–244. (doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2653-6).
- Rigato, F. 2016. The ant genus Polyrhachis F. Smith in sub-Saharan Africa, with descriptions of ten new species. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 4088: 1–50.
- Santschi, F. 1914b. Voyage de Ch. Alluaud et R. Jeannel en Afrique Orientale, 1911-1912. Résultats scientifiques. Insectes Hyménoptères. II. Formicidae. Paris: Libr. A. Schulz, pp. 41-148. (page 143, Combination in P. (Myrma), Status as species)
- Santschi, F. 1914e. Meddelanden från Göteborgs Musei Zoologiska Afdelning. 3. Fourmis du Natal et du Zoulouland récoltées par le Dr. I. Trägårdh. Göteb. K. Vetensk. Vitterh. Samh. Handl. 15: 1-44 (page 42, Subspecies of schistacea)
- Wheeler, W. M. 1922j. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 711-1004 (page 1003, Subspecies of schistacea)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Arnold G. 1924. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part VI. Camponotinae. Annals of the South African Museum 14: 675-766.
- Bolton B. 1973. The ant genus Polyrhachis F. Smith in the Ethiopian region (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 28: 283-369.
- Forel A. 1914. Formicides d'Afrique et d'Amérique nouveaux ou peu connus. Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles 50: 211-288.
- Garcia F.H., Wiesel E. and Fischer G. 2013.The Ants of Kenya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)Faunal Overview, First Species Checklist, Bibliography, Accounts for All Genera, and Discussion on Taxonomy and Zoogeography. Journal of East African Natural History, 101(2): 127-222
- IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
- Robson Simon Database Polyrhachis -05 Sept 2014
- Santschi F. 1914. Meddelanden från Göteborgs Musei Zoologiska Afdelning. 3. Fourmis du Natal et du Zoulouland récoltées par le Dr. I. Trägårdh. Göteborgs Kungliga Vetenskaps och Vitterhets Samhälles Handlingar. 15: 1-44.
- Stitz H. 1910. Westafrikanische Ameisen. I. Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin 5: 125-151.
- Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004