Polyrhachis rufipes

Identification
A member of the Polyrhachis furcata species group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines. Oriental Region: Laos, Myanmar. Palaearctic Region: China.

Biology
Workers of P. rufipes use the trails of Gnamptogenys menadensis to gain access to sugar sources. When they encounter Gnamptogenys foragers, ''P. rufipes workers show a typical aggressive antennal boxing, to which Gnamptogenys'' reacts submissively (Gobin, Peeters, and Billen 1998). This is the only known instance of commensalism between a ponerine and a formicine ant.

Nomenclature

 *  rufipes. Polyrhachis rufipes Smith, F. 1858b: 66, pl. 4, fig. 28 (w.) BORNEO. Combination in P. (Myrmhopla): Emery, 1925b: 196. Senior synonym of exasperatus, oblisa, phipsoni: Bolton, 1974b: 178.
 * exasperatus. Polyrhachis exasperatus Smith, F. 1861b: 41, pl. 1, fig. 16 (w.) INDONESIA (Sulawesi). Viehmeyer, 1916b: 288 (q.). Combination in P. (Myrmhopla): Emery, 1925b: 193. Junior synonym of rufipes: Bolton, 1974b: 178.
 * phipsoni. Polyrhachis phipsoni Forel, 1894c: 399 (w.) MYANMAR. Combination in P. (Myrmhopla): Emery, 1925b: 193. Subspecies of rufipes: Forel, 1911e: 297; Emery, 1925b: 193. Junior synonym of rufipes: Bolton, 1974b: 178.
 * oblisa. Polyrhachis exasperata var. oblisa Forel, 1911d: 395 (w.) WEST MALAYSIA. Combination in P. (Myrmhopla): Emery, 1925b: 193. Junior synonym of rufipes: Bolton, 1974b: 178.

Type Material
Kohout (2008) - Holotype worker. BORNEO, SARAWAK, (examined).

Polyrhachis exasperatus

One worker syntype in ; one worker syntype in. Labelled “Tond.” (= Tondano, Sulawesi), and with the figure “2” written in pencil, bottom right on the stage card. syntype with a Donisthorpe type-label.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Asfiya W., R. Ubaidillah, and Sk. Yamane. 2008. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Krakataus, and Sebesi and Sebuku islands. Treubia 36: 1-9.
 * Bolton B. 1974. New synonymy and a new name in the ant genus Polyrhachis F. Smith (Hym., Formicidae). Entomol. Mon. Mag. 109: 172-180
 * 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
 * Emery C. 1886. Saggio di un catalogo sistematico dei generi Camponotus, Polyrhachis e affini. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna 5: 363-382
 * Emery C. 1901. Formiciden von Celebes. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 14:565-580.
 * 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.
 * Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128
 * Forel A. 1911. Die Ameisen des K. Zoologischen Museums in München. Sitzungsber. Math.-Phys. Kl. K. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. Münch. 11: 249-303.
 * Forel A. 1911. Fourmis nouvelles ou intéressantes. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 47: 331-400.
 * Hashimoto Y., Y. Morimoto, and M. Mohamed. 2003. Species List of Ground and Leaf Litter Ants Collected in Lower Kinabatangan. Pp 13-18. In Lower Kinabatangan Scientific Expedition 2002, 176 pp. ISBN-13: 983-2369-11-8
 * 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
 * Kohout R.J., and M. Mohamed. 2008. A preliminary list of the Polyrhachis ants of the Maliau Basin Conservation area in Sabah, Borneo (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Asian Myrmecology 2: 63-70.
 * Kohout, R. J. 2008. A review of the Polyrhachis ants of Sulawesi with keys and descriptions of new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 52:255-317.
 * Li Q., Y. Chen, S. Wang, Y. Zheng, Y. Zhu, and S. Wang. 2009. Diversity of ants in subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest in Pu'er City, Yunnan. Biodiversity Science 17(3): 233-239.
 * 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.
 * 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
 * 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
 * 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.
 * Song Y., Z. Xu, C. Li, N. Zhang, L. Zhang, H. Jiang, and F. Mo. 2013. An Analysis on the Ant Fauna of the Nangun river Nature Reserve in Yunnan, China. Forest Research 26(6): 773-780.
 * 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.
 * Yoshitomi H., S. Yamane, and X. L. Truong. 2014. Collecting Records of Aphids (Hemiptera, Aphididae) in Northern Vietnam and Laos. Japanese Journal of Systematic Entomology, 20 (1): 155158.
 * 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.