Polyrhachis wamuki

Polyrhachis wamuki
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Polyrhachis
Subgenus:	Aulacomyrma
Species:	P. wamuki
Binomial name
	Polyrhachis wamuki; Kohout, 2007 Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Polyrhachis wamuki.

Identification

Kohout (2007) - P. wamuki is characterised by its small size, virtually parallel-sided mesosomal dorsum and its wide, strongly transverse, petiolar node.

Keys including this Species

Key to Polyrhachis (Aulacomyrma) species

Distribution

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.

Biology

Explore Overview of Aulacomyrma biology

The subgenus this species is a member of, Aulacomyrma, is poorly colected. Kohout (2007) summarized what is known about their biology in a revision of the species in the subgenus. This offers an explanation as to why most Aulacomyrma are known from few collections and specimens. There are only two records of nests being found. A small colony of Polyrhachis dohrni was collected by Kohout from a dry hollow twig on a living tree at the edge of lowland rainforest. The internal walls of the twig cavity were lined with a little silk. Ward collected a nest of Polyrhachis wardi from a dry twig of a rainforest tree. The colonies of both species were rather small, with only a few workers (5 and 11 respectively, including 2 and 3 alate queens and a single male). If such a nesting pattern is the norm for other species of the subgenus, that might explain the general scarcity of Aulacomyrma material even in the best collections. Many Aulacomyrma species are described and only known from a holotype.

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Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Images from AntWeb


Worker. Specimen code casent0009237. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MCZ, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

wamuki. Polyrhachis (Aulacomyrma) wamuki Kohout, 2007a: 238, figs. 102, 105, 108 (w.) NEW GUINEA.

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

Description

Worker

(holotype cited first): TL c. 4.38, 4.23; HL 1.15, 1.12; HW 1.04, 1.00; CI 90, 89; SL 1.22, 1.15; SI 117, 115; PW 0.84, 0.81; MTL 1.09, 1.06 (2 measured).

Anterior clypeal margin arcuate, shallowly emarginate medially; in profile clypeus virtually straight anteriorly, with very weakly impressed basal margin. Frontal carinae sinuate, with laminate lobes. Sides of head in front of eyes almost straight, anteriorly converging. Eyes moderately convex, breaking cephalic outline in full face view. Mesosomal dorsum virtually parallel-sided. Pronotal dorsum immarginate; humeri armed with acute, broad-based teeth with weakly raised margins. Promesonotal suture distinct; metanotal groove lacking. Mesosomal-propodeal dorsum with ill-defined lateral margins formed by outer-most dorsal striae. Propodeum terminating in distinct, rounded prominences, their posterior margins continued inwards for some distance, forming short, medially unconnected ridges, partly separating dorsum from shallowly concave declivity. Dorsal petiolar margin sinuate in dorsal view, somewhat jagged medially and towards sides, with relatively long, acute lateral spines, directed laterally and weakly curved backwards. First gastral segment with anterior face concave; anterodorsal margin of concavity rather sharp and moderately elevated above dorsal face of segment.

Mandibles finely longitudinally striate; striae overlaid by shallow punctures towards masticatory margin. Head, including clypeus, distinctly, mostly regularly, longitudinally striate; striae on sides of head and vertex weakly curved and converging between frontal carinae. Mesosomal dorsum with regular striae; inversely V-shaped on pronotal dorsum, converging anteriorly and medially and continued obliquely onto sides; mesonotal-propodeal dorsum with striae curving posteriorly and inwards towards declivity, where they terminate and form an ill-defined blunt margin. Petiole shagreened. First gastral segment very distinctly longitudinally striate laterally; striae much less distinct dorsally, median area behind anterodorsal margin shagreened.

Mostly golden, rather short hairs dispersed over most body surfaces. Appressed, silvery pubescence rather sparse on head and mesosoma; more abundant, mostly golden pubescence on gastral dorsum.

Black, with antennal scapes and legs at their joints, dark reddish-brown. Mandibular masticatory border, funiculi and most of legs yellow or relatively light, yellowish-brown with reddish tint.

Type Material

HOLOTYPE: PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Morobe Prov., Huon Penins., Mongi Watershed, Wamuki (= Wamuri), 06º32’S, 147º30’E, 800m, 19-20.iv.1955, E. O. Wilson #847 (worker). PARATYPE: data as for holotype (1 worker). Type distribution: holotype in Museum of Comparative Zoology; paratype in Queensland Museum.

Etymology

Named after the type locality, Wamuki village on Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea.

References

Kohout, R.J. 2007a. Revision of the subgenus Aulacomyrma Emery of the genus Polyrhachis F. Smith, with descriptions of new species (pp. 186-253). In Snelling, R.R., Fisher, B.L. & Ward, P.S. (eds). Advances in ant systematics: homage to E.O. Wilson – 50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80: 690 pp.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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.
Kohout R.J. 2007. Revision of the subgenus Aulacomyrma Emery of the genus Polyrhachis F. Smith, with descriptions of new species (pp. 186-253). In Snelling, R.R., Fisher, B.L. & Ward, P.S. (eds). Advances in ant systematics: homage to E.O. Wilson 50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80: 690 pp.