Polyrhachis mondoi

An arboreal nesting species but one colony has been collected from under the bark of a living tree. (Kohout 2006)

Identification
Polyrhachis mondoi is somewhat similar to Polyrhachis australis from Australia, but differs in several characters. In dorsal view, the pronotum is strongly tranverse and widest just behind the distinctly angular humeri. The mesonotal and propodeal dorsa are somewhat laterally compressed with their sides strongly converging posteriorly. In profile, the mesonotum and propodeum are gently sinuate, with the promesonotal suture distinctly impressed and the indistinct metanotal groove indicated by a weak depression. The propodeal spines are rather short and strongly upturned, and propodeal dorsum slopes into the declivity in an even curve. The petiole is armed with four subequal spines. In contrast, the pronotal humeri in Polyrhachis australis are obtusely angular or narrowly rounded and the sides of the mesosoma are not as strongly laterally compressed. The propodeal spines of Polyrhachis australis are longer and only weakly upturned, and the lateral petiolar spines are distinctly longer than the dorsal pair. (Kohout 2006)

Distribution
New Guinea

This taxon was described from New Guinea.

Worker
Black, shining, the trochanters, femora, and tibial dark red, the antennal (except the tip of the last joint, which is red) and tarsi black. The teeth of the mandibles, and claws red; the palpi brownish yellow. The sculpturation consists of the usual fine reticulation and small punctures, but the pleural region of the mesonotum and epinotum, and the sides of the petiole are somewhat rugose in appearance, caused by the presence of long shallow punctures.

The head is less broad posteriorly than in levior and nox, and the posterior angles are less distinct than in the former and more so than in the latter. The shoulders are less marked than in the other two; the spines of the epinotum are of about the same length as in nox, but finer and sharper, and point slightly outwards. The teeth of the petiole are about the same length as in levior, but somewhat more acute.

Long. 5•5 mm.

Type Material
Holotype worker – as reported by Kohout (2006).

Type Locality Information
NEW GUINEA, PAPUA, Mondo, 5000 ft., col. L.E. Cheesman.

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.

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.