Polyrhachis cubaensis

Identification
A member of the Polyrhachis viscosa species-group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania.

Nomenclature

 *  cubaensis. Polyrhachis cubaensis Mayr, 1862: 687 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA (not Cuba; see Mayr, 1893: 195). Combination in P. (Myrma): Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 994. Senior synonym of striolatorugosa: Bolton, 1973b: 325.

Queen
Rigato (2016) - Holotype. HL 1.45, HW 1.24, CI 86, SL 1.40, SI 113, FW 0.47, FI 38, ScW 1.15*, MnL 1.60*, ML 2.34*, HTL 1.47. (*These measurements are imprecise because the specimen was pinned through the mesosoma; the mesoscutum is slightly misplaced and is missing most of its right and posterior portions.)

Clypeus medially faintly carinate and with its anterior margin moderately and evenly arched. Head in full face view oval, wider behind than in front, posterior margin wide, moderately and evenly convex without posterior corners; sides in front of the eyes anteriorly converging and feebly convex. Eyes relatively large and convex. Ocelli small. Pronotum laterally weakly marginate. Pronotal teeth anteriorly diverging, stout and blunt, their tips weakly upturned. Propodeal dorsum feebly marginate laterally, strongly arched in profile and weakly convex transversely, about twice as wide as long. Propodeal teeth minute and upturned. Propodeal dorsum and declivity divided by a sudden change of slope, no ridge occurs between them. Petiole with two pairs of spines, the mid pair looks stouter and slightly shorter than the lateral one; the mid pair a little more distant from one another than mid and lateral spine of the same side. All petiolar spines weakly backward tilted. First gastral tergite anteriorly slightly concave.

Mandibles shagreened and with sparse piligerous pits. Body mostly subopaque with a slightly shining gaster. Body and appendages finely reticulate-punctate, with no trace of rugosity. Clypeus, pronotal dorsum, mesonotum, mesanepisternum, propodeal dorsum and declivity, posterior petiolar surface and gaster mostly appearing more superficially and tidily sculptured.

Standing hairs mostly wanting, occurring only at the gastral apex, on gastral sternites I-IV, at the anterior clypeal margin and mandibular apex. Pubescence very short, inconspicuous on most of the body and moderately dense on gaster and appendages, but never hiding the sculpturation; on the gaster the distance between two adjacent elements is about equal to their length.

Colour mainly black, legs mostly brown with proximally darker tibiae, tarsi and coxae. Antennae piceous, except their dark brown funicular apices; mandibles apically ferrugineous. Wings moderately infuscated.

Type Material
Rigato (2016) - Holotype gyne [not worker as reported in Bolton, 1973], originally labeled CUBA, 1843; then corrected into SOUTH AFRICA, Port Natal [currently Durban] (see Mayr, 1893: 195, footnote) [examined].