Polyrhachis bihamata

Specimens have been collected from rainforest. Hung (1970) - In East India, one bihamata nest of silky yellowish-brown material was found close to the ground in the center of a dump of bamboos (Bingham, 1903).

Identification
A member of the bihamata group of the subgenus Polyrhachis.

Distribution
Kohout (2014) - Polyrhachis bihamata has been recorded throughout Southeast Asia, from Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar to Malaysia and south to Borneo, Sumatra, possibly Java and Bali. It was also listed by Fr. Smith (1858: 58; 1862: 39; 1863: 126; 1865: 69) variously from India, the Indonesian islands of Waigeo, Bacan, Seram and Sulawesi and from New Guinea, however, I believe that many of these records are based on misidentified specimens, representing mostly Polyrhachis olybria and/or Polyrhachis bellicosa and Polyrhachis erosispina.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines. Oriental Region: Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam. Palaearctic Region: China.

Castes
Male and immature stages in SMFG (Dr W.H.O. Dorow coll.); a single male in QMBA.

Nomenclature

 *  bihamata. Formica bihamata Drury, 1773: 73, pl. 38, figs. 7, 8 (w.) MADAGASCAR (Johanna I.). [Locality in error, see Bolton, 1973b: 352.] Mayr, 1872: 139 (q.); Emery, 1887a: 238 (q.); Donisthorpe, 1942b: 70 (m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1990b: 763 (l.). Combination in Polyrhachis: Smith, F. 1857a: 59. Senior synonym of affinis Le Guillou: Mayr, 1872: 139; Dalla Torre, 1893: 259; of minor Karavaiev, perplexa, tonsilis: Hung, 1970: 16; Kohout, 1998: 508.
 * affinis. Formica affinis Le Guillou, 1842: 314 (q.) BORNEO. [Unresolved junior primary homonym of Formica affinis Leach, 1825: 290.] Combination in Polyrhachis: Roger, 1863b: 7. Junior synonym of bihamata: Mayr, 1872: 139; Dalla Torre, 1893: 259.
 * perplexa. Polyrhachis (Polyrhachis) bihamata var. perplexa Santschi, 1925f: 92 (w.) LAOS. Junior synonym of bihamata: Hung, 1970: 16.
 * minor. Polyrhachis bihamata var. minor Karavaiev, 1927e: 12 (w.) INDONESIA (Java). [Unresolved junior primary homonym of minor Forel, above.] Junior synonym of bihamata: Hung, 1970: 16.
 * tonsilis. Polyrhachis (Polyrhachis) bihamata var. tonsilis Santschi, 1928h: 133 (w.) INDONESIA (Sumatra). Junior synonym of bihamata: Hung, 1970: 16.

Kohout (2014) - Polyrhachis bihamata was redescribed by Hung (1970: 16), who also proposed the synonymy of all three subspecific forms with the nominal species. Kohout (1998: 508) accepted Hung’s decision regarding the synonymy of P. bihamata perplexa but was hesitant to accept the synonymy of P. bihamata tonsilis. Similar to Santschi (1928), Kohout considered P. bihamata tonsilis to be an intermediate ‘form’, but between P. bihamata and P. olybria, rather than between P. bihamata and P. bellicosa. Kohout (1998) also examined the unique holotype of P. bihamata minor, described by Karavaiev from Java, and based on its similarity to P. bihamata tonsilis commented that “Judging from the available specimens, I believe that the synonymy of P. bihamata minor with P. bihamata tonsilis, and elevation of the latter to specific status could be justified”. However, the only available specimen besides the types is a topotypical individual (Sumatra, Sibolangit, 1919, J.A. Loerzing) and I am not prepared to make any nomenclatural changes without additional material. Consequently I have maintained the status quo and adopted Hung’s (1970) proposed synonymies.

Worker
Hung (1970) - Syntypes: Four workers of perplexa measured-HW 2.30-2.45 mm, HL 2.63-2.75 mm, CI 87-89, SL 3.35-3.58 mm, SI 138-146, PW 1.25-1.37 mm, MPL 4.50-4.88 mm, PSEI 67-71. PH 3.00-3.18 mm. Two workers of tonsilis measured HW 2.15-2.25 mm, HL 2.50 mm, CI 86.90, SL 3.13-3.15 mm, SI 139-146, PW 1.05-1.13 mm, MPL 2.50 mm, MTL (missing), PSEI 67-68, PH 2.75-2.90 mm.

HW 1.88-2.50 mm, HL 2.25-2.75 mm, CI 75-97, SL 3.00-3.50 mm, SI 133-170, PW 1.05-1.40 mm, MPL 2.38-3.15 mm, MTL 4.00-4.75 mm, PSEI 64-115. PH 2.50-3.13 mm. Alitrunk more or less rounded. Pronotum somewhat flat above but without traces of margins. Pronotal spines pointed outwards and bent backwards. Mesonotum with two pyramidal spines contiguous at base, rising upwards and bent backwards. Metanotal groove replaced by a ridge. Propodeum with two contiguous ridges. Basal face inclined, about twice as long as the declivity. Petiole columnar bearing a pair of long, somewhat flattened hook-shaped spines which in most cases are parallel or even contiguous. Body sparsely covered with suberect hairs. Head black. Alitrunk. petiole, gaster and legs moderate reddish-brown or grayish-red, but the tip of the gaster is always darker in color.

Kohout (2014) - TL c. 9.47 – 11.99; HL 2.17 – 2.77; HW 1.91 – 2.47; CI 81-94; SL 2.82 – 3.53; SI 133 – 149; PW 1.11 – 1.36; PeH 2.37 – 3.12; PeI 100-119; MTL 3.98 – 4.79 (19 measured).

Dimensions (bihamata perplexa syntypes): TL c. 10.84 – 12.45; HL 2.50 – 2.71; HW 2.25 – 2.37; CI 87 – 90; SL 3.17 – 3.53; SI 140 – 149; PW 1.16 – 1.26; PeH 2.92 – 3.12; PeI 113 – 119; MTL 4.33 – 4.84 (6 measured).

Dimensions (bihamata tonsilis syntypes): TL c. 10.08 – 10.73; HL 2.43 – 2.46; HW 2.15 – 2.21; CI 88 – 90; SL 3.12; SI 141 – 145; PW 1.06; PeH 2.77 – 2.87; PeI 114 – 117; MTL (missing) (2 measured).

Dimensions (bihamata minor holotype): TL c. 9.12; HL 2.21; HW 1.96; CI 89; SL (missing); PW 1.06; PeH 2.25; PeI 102; MTL 3.93.

Queen
Kohout (2014) - TL c. 13.30; HL 2.77; HW 2.37; CI 85; SL 3.93; SI 166; PW 2.67; PeH 1.31; PeI 47; MTL 4.69 (1 measured).

Queen distinctly larger than worker and with usual characters identifying full sexuality, including three ocelli, complete thoracic structure and wings. The queen of P. bihamata was described by Mayr (1872) and the details are not repeated here. It is somewhat similar to queen of P. ypsilon, with both having the pronotal spines reduced to bluntly angular prominences. The mesoscutum in P. bihamata, however, is distinctly more slender and the golden pilosity and pubescence shorter and less abundant.

Type Material
KOHOUT (2014) - ?Holotype worker. Type locality: ISLAND OF JOHANNA, near MADAGASCAR (locality evidently in error – see Bolton, 1973: 352) (types/s presumed lost).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * André E. 1892. Voyage de M. Chaper à Bornéo. Catalogue des fourmis et description des espèces nouvelles. Mém. Soc. Zool. Fr. 5: 46-55.
 * Ashmead W. H. 1904. A list of the Hymenoptera of the Philippine Islands, with descriptions of new species. J. N. Y. Entomol. Soc. 12:1-22.
 * Chapman J. W. 1965.  Studies on the ecology of the army ants of the Philippines genus Aenictus Schuckard (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Philippine Journal of Science. 93: 551-595.
 * Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
 * Chung A.Y.C., and M. Mohamed. 1996. A comparative study of the ant fauna in a primary and secondary forest in Sabah, Malaysia. In Edwards, D.S. Booth, W.E. and S.C. Choy (eds). Tropical Rainforest Research. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Pp 357-366.
 * Crawley W.C. 1924. Ants from Sumatra, with biological notes by Edward Jacobson. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (9)13: 380-409
 * Davidson D. W., S. C. Cook, R. R. Snelling and T. H. Chua. 2003. Explaining the Abundance of Ants in Lowland Tropical Rainforest Canopies. Science 300: 969-972.
 * Davidson, D.W., J.-P. Lessard, C.R. Bernau and S.C. Cook. 2007. The Tropical Ant Mosaic in a Primary Bornean Rain Forest. Biotropica 39(4):468-475
 * Donisthorpe H. 1942. Descriptions of a few ants from the Philippine Islands, and a male of Polyrhachis bihamata Drury from India. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (11)9: 64-72.
 * Donisthorpe, Horace. 1943. The Ants of Waigeu Island, North Dutch New Guinea. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History 11 (10): 433-475.
 * 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. 1888. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza . Formiche raccolte dal sig. Elio Modigliani in Sumatra e nell'isola Nias. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 25: 528-534.
 * Emery C. 1893. Formicides de l'Archipel Malais. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 1: 187-229.
 * Emery C. 1893. Voyage de M. E. Simon aux îles Philippines (mars et avril 1890). Formicides. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 62: 259-270.
 * Emery C. Formiche raccolte da Elio Modigliani in Sumatra, Engano e Mentawei. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 40: 661-722.
 * 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.
 * Emery, C. "Formiche raccolte da Elio Modigliani in Sumatra, Engano e Mentawei." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 20, no. 40 (1900): 661-722.
 * Emery, C. "Voyage de MM. Bedot et Pictet dans l'Archipel Malais. Formicides de l'Archipel Malais." Revue Suisse de Zoologie 1 (1893): 187-229.
 * Forel A. 1886. Études myrmécologiques en 1886. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 30: 131-215.
 * Forel A. 1893. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part III. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 8: 17-36.
 * Forel A. 1903. Les fourmis des îles Andamans et Nicobares. Rapports de cette faune avec ses voisines. Rev. Suisse Zool. 11: 399-411.
 * [[Media:Forel 1913l.pdf|Forel A. 1913k. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse einer Forschungsreise nach Ostindien ausgeführt im Auftrage der Kgl. Preuss. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin von H. v. Buttel-Reepen. II. Ameisen aus Sumatra, Java, Malacca und Ceylon. Gesammelt von Herrn Prof. Dr. v. Buttel-Reepen in den Jahren 1911-1912. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 36:1-148.]]
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Hashimoto Y., S. Yamane, and T. Itioka. 1997. A preliminary study on dietary habits of ants in a Bornean rain forest. Japanese Journal of Entomology 65(4): 688-695.
 * Hua Li-zhong. 2006. List of Chinese insects Vol. IV. Pages 262-273. Sun Yat-sen university Press, Guangzhou. 539 pages.
 * Hung A. C. F. 1970. A revision of ants of the subgenus Polyrhachis Fr. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Oriental Insects 4(1): 1-36.
 * IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
 * Jaitrong W., B. Guenard, E. P. Economo, N. Buddhakala, and S. Yamane. 2016. A checklist of known ant species of Laos (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Asian Myrmecology 8: 1-32. DOI: 10.20362/am.008019
 * Jaitrong W., and T. Ting-Nga. 2005. Ant fauna of Peninsular Botanical Garden (Khao Chong), Trang Province, Southern Thailand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The Thailand Natural History Museum Journal 1(2): 137-147.
 * Jaitrong W.; Nabhitabhata, J. 2005. A list of known ant species of Thailand. The Thailand Natural History Museum Journal 1(1): 9-54.
 * Kishimoto-Yamata K., F. Hyodo, M. Matsuoka, Y. Hashimoto, M. Kon, T. Ochi, S. Yamane, R. Ishii, and T. Itioka. 2012. Effects of remnant primary forests on ant and dung beetle species diversity in a secondary forest in Sarawak, Malaysia. Journal of Insect Conservation DOI 10.1007/s10841-012-9544-6
 * Kohout R. J. 1998. New synonyms and nomenclatural changes in the ant genus Polyrhachis Fr. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 42: 505-531
 * Kohout R. J. 2014. A review of the subgenus Polyrhachis (Polyrhachis) Fr. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) with keys and description of a new species. Asian Myrmecology 6: 1-31.
 * Malsch A. K. F., K. Rosciszewski, and U. Maschwitz. 2003. The ant species richness and diversity of a primary lowland rain forest, the Pasoh Forest reserve, West Malaysia. in T. Okuda, N. Manokaran, Y. Matsumoto, K. Niiyama, S. C. Thomas, and P. S. Ashton, eds. Pasoh: Ecology and Natural History of a Southeast Asin Lowland Tropical Rain Forest, pp 347-374.
 * Mohamed M. 1995. A preliminary list of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Tawau Hills Park, Sabah. In: Ghazally Ismail  et al.  (eds.),  Tawau  Hills Park,  Sabah,  Pelanduk Pub.  Pp.  205-213.
 * Mohanraj P., M. Ali, and K. Veerakumari. 2010. Formicidae of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Indian Ocean: Bay of Bengal). Journal of Insect Science 10: Article 172
 * Mohanraj, P., M. Ali and K. Veenakumari. 2010. Formicidae of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Indian Ocean: Bay Of Bengal). Journal of Insect Science 10:172.
 * 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
 * Philpott S.M., P. Bichier, R.A. Rice, and R. Greenberg. 2008. Biodiversity conservation, yield, and alternative products in coffee agroecosystems in Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodivers. Conserv. 17: 1805-1820. Data obtained from Stacy Philpott
 * Ran H., and S. Y. Zhou. 2013. Checklist of Chinese Ants: Formicomorph Subfamilies ( Hymenoptera: Formicidae) (III). Journal of Guangxi Normal University : Natural Science Edition 31(1): 104-111.
 * Robson Simon Database Polyrhachis -05 Sept 2014
 * Santschi F. 1920. Fourmis d'Indo-Chine. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 60: 158-176.
 * Santschi F. 1924. Fourmis d'Indochine. Opuscules de l'Institut Scientifique de l'Indochine 3: 95-117
 * Santschi F. 1925. Contribution à la faune myrmécologique de la Chine. Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles 56: 81-96.
 * Santschi F. 1928. Fourmis de Sumatra, récoltées par Mr. J. B. Corporaal. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 71: 119-140.
 * 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.
 * Smith, Fr. "Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the Islands of Bachian, Kaisaa, Amboyna, Gilolo, and at Dory in New Guinea." Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 5 (1860): 93-143.
 * Stitz H. 1925. Ameisen von den Philippinen, den malayischen und ozeanischen Inseln. Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin 1923: 110-136.
 * Sukimin S., M. Mohamed, and H. Aris. 2010. Ant diversity of Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia. Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation 6:89-101.
 * Varghese T. 2004. Taxonomic studies on ant genera of the Indian Institute of Science campus with notes on their nesting habits. Pp. 485-502 in : Rajmohana, K.; Sudheer, K.; Girish Kumar, P.; Santhosh, S. (eds.) 2004. Perspectives on biosystematics and biodiversity. Prof. T.C. Narendran commemoration volume. Kerala: Systematic Entomology Research Scholars Association, xxii + 666 pp.
 * 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.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1909. Ants of Formosa and the Philippines. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 26: 333-345.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1919. The ants of Borneo. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 63:43-147.
 * Widodo E. S., T. Naito, M. Mohamed, and Y. Hashimoto. 2004. Effects of selective logging on the arboreal ants of a Bornean rainforest. Entomological Science 7: 341-349.
 * Xu Z., Lai Y., Li T. and Dai S. 1998. Five species of Formicidae newly recorded in China (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Southwest Forestry College 18: 245-249.
 * Yamane S.; Nona, A. R. 1994. Ants from Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak. Pp. 222-226 in: Inoue, T.; Hamid, A. A. (eds.) 1994. Plant reproductive systems and animal seasonal dynamics. Long-term study of dipterocarp forests in Sarawak. Kyoto: Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, vii + 255 pp.
 * Zryanin V. A. 2011. An eco-faunistic review of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In: Structure and functions of soil communities of a monsoon tropical forest (Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam) / A.V. Tiunov (Editor). – M.: KMK Scientific Press. 2011. 277 р.101-124.