Polyrhachis spinosa

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Polyrhachis spinosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Polyrhachis
Subgenus: Myrmhopla
Species: P. spinosa
Binomial name
Polyrhachis spinosa
Mayr, 1867

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Specimen Labels

The lone occurrence record of this species from Sulawesi is from a copal sample.

Identification

A member of the Polyrhachis sexspinosa species group.

Kohout (2008) - In his original description, Mayr (1867) illustrated both castes and listed characters separating P. spinosa from the closely allied species, Polyrhachis sexspinosa, Polyrhachis rugifrons and P. bubastes. Some of the more useful characters distinguishing this group of species are as follows. The occipital margins of P. sexspinosa and P. spinosa feature lateral angular prominences or lobes that are clearly visible in full face view. These lobes are weakly developed and barely visible in P. bubastes and P. rugifrons. In profile, the pronotal dorsum is strongly swollen and dome-like in P. bubastes and P. sexspinosa, while it is only moderately convex in the other two species. The pronotal spines are strongly curved forwards in P. sexspinosa, P. spinosa and P. bubastes, but in P. rugifrons they are short, straight and project laterally, almost at right angles to the main axis of the body. A mesopleural tooth is strongly developed in P. bubastes, while it is a simple, non-dentiform lobe in P. sexspinosa and P. rugifrons and virtually absent in P. spinosa. Although the propodeal spines are variable in length and degree of elevation in P. sexspinosa, they are generally long and vertical to the main axis of the body, or even inclined anteriorly. The propodeal spines are curved backwards in the other species, but while they are long in P. rugifrons and P. spinosa, they are distinctly shorter in P. bubastes. The form of the petiolar spines varies considerably among the species. In P. rugifrons they are long and slender and embrace the base of first gastral segment. In P. sexspinosa they are long, slender, strongly elevated and weakly curved. The spines are short, slender, only weakly elevated, and divergent in P. bubastes, while they are long, relatively thick, strongly elevated and subparallel in P. spinosa. Polyrhachis sexspinosa and P. rugifrons have the body covered with mostly yellowish or off-white, rather dense pubescence, that almost completely or partly hides the underlying sculpturation respectively. In contrast, P. bubastes and P. spinosa have the body clothed with numerous, rusty brown or black, short, erect hairs that do not mask the underlying sculpturation.

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

Kohout (2008) - A single specimen from copal appears to be the only record of this species from Sulawesi. Polyrhachis spinosa is also known from Halmahera and Morty I. (= Morotai I. in Maluku Utara).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 2.316667° to 0.783333°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia (type locality).

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

Polyrhachis spinosa focol2604 h 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2604 p 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2604 p 2 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2604 d 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2604 l 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2637 h 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2637 p 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2637 p 2 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2637 d 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2637 l 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2638 h 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2638 p 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2638 p 2 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2638 d 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2638 l 1 high.jpgPolyrhachis spinosa focol2603 p 2 high.jpg
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Nomenclature

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

  • spinosa. Polyrhachis spinosa Mayr, 1867a: 43, pl. 2, fig. 2 (w.q.) INDONESIA (Halmahera I.). Combination in P. (Myrmhopla): Emery, 1925b: 191. Junior synonym of bubastes: Bolton, 1975c: 6. Revived from synonymy: Kohout, 2008a: 306.

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. INDONESIA, HALMAHERA, Dodinga (Forsten), Leiden Nationaal Natuurhistorische Museum (examined).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • 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. 1887. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia. [part]. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 24(4): 209-258.
  • Emery, C. "Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 4, no. 24 (1887): 209-258.
  • 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.
  • Robson Simon Database Polyrhachis -05 Sept 2014
  • 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.