Polyrhachis feehani

Polyrhachis feehani appears to be rather rare and has been collected only on a few occasions. Its distribution is apparently limited to the wider Cooktown area.

Identification
A member of the ammon species-group in the Polyrhachis subgenus Hagiomyrma. Kohout (2013) - Polyrhachis feehani is superficially similar to several species, including Polyrhachis brisbanensis, Polyrhachis brutella, Polyrhachis burwelli, Polyrhachis darlingtoni and Polyrhachis dougcooki, which are all large and have a very obvious, reddish-golden, median patch on the gastral dorsum. It differs from most of them by its weakly anteriorly converging pronotal margins, a character shared only with P. darlingtoni. Both species are easily distinguished by the shape of their petioles.

Key to Polyrhachis Hagiomyrma group species

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Castes
Sexuals unknown. Immature stages present in the ANIC collection.

Nomenclature

 *  feehani. Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) feehani Kohout, 2013: 520, figs. 4A-B (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Worker
(holotype cited first): TL c. 11.24, 10.78-11.79; HL 2.65, 2.56-2.74; HW 2.06, 1.96-2.12; CI 78, 73-80; SL 3.53, 3.33-3.68; SI 171, 164-176; PW 1.75, 1.71- 1.90; MW1.28, 1.21-1.31; PMI 137, 137-154; MTL 4.18, 4.03-4.43 (13 measured).

Anterior clypeal margin with shallow, emarginate, obtusely denticulate, median flange. Clypeus with median carina, weakly sinuate in profile, posteriorly rounding into shallow basal margin. Frontal carinae sinuate with distinctly raised margins. Sides of head in front of eyes almost straight towards mandibular bases; behind eyes, sides rounding into convex occipital margin. Eyes moderately convex, in full face view only reaching, or marginally exceeding lateral cephalic outline. Ocelli lacking. Pronotal dorsum with humeri rounded; lateral margins notched and weakly divergent towards promesonotal suture. Mesonotum with lateral margins converging towards poorly indicated metanotal groove. Propodeal dorsum armed with rather strong, weakly divergent spines, with tips curved upwards and outwards. Petiole armed with pair of weakly divergent, acute spines. Anterior face of first gastral tergite widely rounding onto dorsum. First gastral tergite somewhat transverse with sides produced into blunt prominences, somewhat similar to, but less distinct than those in P. vernoni described below.

Mandibles closely longitudinally striate with numerous piliferous pits. Head, mesosoma and petiole distinctly reticulate-punctate, with sculpturation between eyes and frontal carinae organised into fine, longitudinal striae, converging anteriorly and obliquely on clypeus and meeting along median carina. Mesosomal dorsum with reticulae somewhat organised more regularly into striate rugulations, anteriorly directed along promesonotal suture, bowed and forming more-or-less incomplete semicircles on mesonotal and propodeal dorsa. Gaster shagreened.

Mandibles at masticatory borders and towards bases with numerous golden hairs. Anterior clypeal margin with several, anteriorly projecting setae medially and fringe of short setae laterally. Clypeus and sides of head with very short, appressed, silvery hairs arising from numerous shallow pits. Medium length, anteriorly inclined, silvery hairs between frontal carinae, increasing in density on vertex. Dorsa of mesosoma and petiole with rather dense cover of mostly erect or variously curved, long hairs, most longer than greatest diameter of eyes. Gaster with long, posteriorly directed hairs, silvery on venter and sides, golden on dorsum. Somewhat untidy, silvery, appressed pubescence in various densities over most body surfaces. Dorsum of gaster with distinctly longer, golden, appressed pubescence and very distinct, dark reddish-brown, laterally diffused, median patch; pubescence more silvery on sides and venter of gaster.

Black; mandibles black with narrow, reddish-brown band along masticatory border; teeth black. Appendages and venter of gaster reddish-brown.

Etymology
Named in honor of the collector of the type series specimens, J. Feehan of the ANIC, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra.