Polyrhachis ammon

Distribution
This taxon was described from Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  ammon. Formica ammon Fabricius, 1775: 394 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Mayr, 1876: 72 (q.m.); Imai, Crozier & Taylor, 1977: 347 (k.). Combination in Polyrhachis: Smith, F. 1858b: 73; in P. (Hagiomyrma): Wheeler, W.M. 1911c: 860. Senior synonym of angustata: Kohout, 1988c: 430.
 * angustata. Polyrhachis ammon var. angustata Forel, 1902h: 525 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in P. (Hagiomyrma): Emery, 1925b: 184. Junior synonym of ammon: Kohout, 1988c: 430.

Worker
Kohout (1989) - Dimensions: TL 7.58-9.73; HL 2.12-2.50; HW 1.65-2.01; CI 78-82; SL 2.56-2.97; SI 145-158; PW l.18-1.51; MTL 2.59-3.07 (30 measured).

Mandibles with 5 teeth. Clypeus in profile almost straight; the anterior margin entire. Sides of head in front of eyes shallowly concave, slightly converging anteriorly; widely rounded behind. Eyes convex, in full face view usually only marginally breaking the outline of the head. Frontal carinae sharply raised. Pronotal dorsum with a pair of long, divergent, somewhat flattened spines; their dorsolateral borders continuous with the pronotal margins. Mesonotal dorsum transversely convex. wider than pronotum at the base, the lateral margins converging strongly posteriorly. Propodeal dorsum almost flat, with margins converging into weakly upturned posterior angles. Petiole with two posterodorsally directed spines and, between them, a more or less distinct, small intercalary tooth. A somewhat flattened, deeply emarginated tooth, is situated laterally below the level of the base of each spine. First gastral tergite shallowly concave basally.

Mandibles finely, regularly striate, with numerous piliferous pits. Head and lateral branches of mesosoma finely reticulate; dorsum of mesosoma, petiole and the gaster shagreened.

A few long, erect, somewhat undulated hairs scattered on dorsum of the head and mesosoma. Such hairs are relatively more abundant and posteriorly directed on the gaster. Bright golden or, less frequently, silvery pubescence more or less obscuring the underlying sculpturation. And abundant all over the body, except on the mandibles and tips of the spines.

Generally black, with coxae, femora, tibia and proximal and distal ends of the antennal scapes yellow or light yellowish-brown.

Queen
Kohout (1989) - Dimensions: TL 9.98-11.59; HL 2.50-2.74; HW 2.01-2.21; CI 79-82; SL 2.87-3.12; SI 136-143; PW 2.03-2.22; MTL 3.06-3.22 (7 measured).

Female almost identical to worker apart from its larger size and the characters identifying full sexuality. The pronotal spines are shorter and downturned, and the dorsum of petiole armed with 3 distinct teeth.