Polyrhachis pilosa

Opportunistic in choosing its nesting sites, in recent years Polyrhachis pilosa has become increasingly common in suburban parks and gardens, with their silk nests built not only between leaves, but also in various artiﬁcial cavities around houses, including door and window frames (Kohout 2006).

Identification
Polyrhachis pilosa is similar to Polyrhachis mackayi both having an evenly convex mesosomal dorsum, a completely unarmed propodeum and subequal petiolar spines. However, the former is easily distinguished by the cover of relatively long, erect hairs on the dorsum of the head and mesosoma (Kohout 2006).

Distribution
The main distribution of P. pilosa is similar to that of Polyrhachis mackayi, reaching its southern limit at about Taree in northern New South Wales. In the north P. pilosa appears to be rather patchily distributed, with conﬁrmed records from around Townsville and as far north and west as Fourty Mile Scrub and Undara (ANA). (Kohout 2006)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Abundance
Common within its main range (~ south of Townsville to Taree).

Nomenclature

 *  pilosa. Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) rastellata var. pilosa Donisthorpe, 1938c: 256 (w.) AUSTRALIA. [First available use of Polyrhachis rastellata r. laevior var. pilosa Forel, 1902h: 527; unavailable name (Taylor, 1986: 34).] Raised to species: Kohout & Taylor, 1990: 518. See also: Kohout, 2006b: 102.

Worker
Metanotum sans trace d'epines. Tres semblable a la var. debelis Emery, mais tout le corps assez abondamment pourvu de poils dresses fins. Ca et la meme un poil sur les pattes. (Forel 1902)

Type Material
Syntype workers from examined by Kohout (2006).

Type Locality Information
Wollongbar, Richmond River NEW SOUTH WALES, col. Froggatt.

Additional References
Donisthorpe, H. 1938. The subgenus Cyrtomyrma Forel of Polyrhachis Smith, with descriptions of new species, etc. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (11)1: 246-267.

Forel, A. 1902. Fourmis nouvelles d’Australie. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 10: 405-548.

Kohout, R. J. 2006. Review of Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) of Australia, Borneo, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with descriptions of new species. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 52:87-146.