Polyrhachis busiris

Known from its type material, nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Kohout (2009) - Polyrhachis busiris is similar to a number of New Guinean species that also feature distinctly angular or toothed pronotal humeri and a propodeal dorsum armed with spines, teeth or tuberculae.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea.

Castes
Sexuals and immature stages unknown.

Nomenclature

 *  busiris. Polyrhachis busiris Smith, F. 1860b: 98, pl. 1, fig. 15 (w.) NEW GUINEA. Junior synonym of rastellata: Mayr, 1862: 688; Roger, 1863b: 6. Revived from synonymy: Kohout, 2009b: 42.

Worker
Kohout (2009) - (lectotype cited first): TL c. 6.80, 6.40-7.06; HL 1.78, 1.65-1.78; HW 1.84, 1.62-1.84; CI 103, 96-103; SL 2.15, 2.00-2.15; SI 117, 117-123; PW 1.43, 1.31-1.43; MTL 2.59, 2.43-2.62 (19 measured).

Head, excluding mandibles, about as long as wide. Mandibles with five teeth, apical tooth largest with subsequent teeth reducing in length towards base. Anterior clypeal margin with central truncate flange, shallowly notched medially and flanked laterally by acute denticles. Clypeus in profile weakly convex with basal margin moderately impressed. Frontal triangle poorly indicated. Frontal carinae sinuate with only weakly raised margins; frontal furrow shallowly impressed. Sides of head in front of eyes strongly converging towards mandibular bases; behind eyes widely rounding into weakly convex occipital margin. Eyes moderately convex; in full face view not or just touching lateral cephalic outline. Ocelli lacking. Pronotum in dorsal view distinctly transverse with humeri angular or toothed. Mesosoma in profile more-or-less evenly convex; promesonotal suture distinct, metanotal groove lacking. Propodeum armed with distinct tuberculae or short teeth; declivity oblique. Petiole with anterior face straight, posterior face convex; dorsum armed with four, subequal, acute spines. Anterior face of first gastral segment lower than full height of petiole, widely rounding onto dorsum of segment.

Mandibles very finely and closely, mostly longitudinally, striate. Head, mesosoma and gaster finely shagreened. Intensity of sculpturation increasing laterally with sides of mesosoma distinctly reticulate and meso- and metapleurae rather strongly reticulate-rugose. Petiole finely, mostly transversely, reticulate dorsally, becoming reticulate-rugose around base. Mandibles with numerous straight or weakly curved golden hairs arising near masticatory borders and numerous very short appressed hairs towards mandibular bases. Anterior clypeal margin with a few long, anteriorly directed, golden setae and several short setae fringing margin laterally. A few pairs of medium length, erect hairs arising near anterior and basal clypeal margins, along frontal carinae and on vertex. Several medium to long, mostly erect or somewhat curved hairs on front coxae, ventral surfaces of trochanters and apical segments of gaster. Tuft of a few semierect hairs on summit of mesonotum, with longest hairs reaching about half of greatest diameter of eye in length. Very short, closely appressed pubescence in various densities over most body surfaces.

Black throughout; joints of trochanters and femora and distal half of tibiae in modern specimens medium to dark reddish-brown.

Type Material
Kohout (2009) - Syntype workers (2). Original localities: New Guinea, Dory(= Irian Jaya, Manokwari) (A. R. Wallace); Indonesia, Batjan I. (A. R. Wallace), (examined).

Lectotype designation. Both syntypes of P. busiris are card mounted and in relatively good condition. In addition to blue disc 'Syntype' tags, they are both furnished with Hope Department, Oxford labels inscribed “Polyrachis (sic) busiris Smith”, one with 1179 1/2 and the other with 1179 2/2. The latter specimen also bears a round, white disc inscribed 'Dor.' (=Dory) and an apparently original, handwritten label inscribed “Polyrhachis Busiris Smith”. Its petiole matches the figure given in the original article (Smith 1860: pl. 1, fig. 15) and, in order to maintain nomenclatural stability and preserve current usage, this specimen is here designated the lectotype of P. busiris Fr. Smith. The other specimen, which bears a rmmd disc inscribed 'Bac.' (= Bachian; = Batjan 1.), is deemed a paralectotype. This is the specimen that was apparently examined by Donisthorpe and furnished with two additional labels referring to the citation of this species in his paper on Smith's types (Donisthorpe 1932: 460). However, closer examination reveals that the paralectotype is not conspecific with the lectotype. It clearly represents a different species that is very similar to Polyrhachis fornicata Emery (see Kohout 2008) and most likely represents a Moluccan population of that species.