Polyrhachis mackayi

Polyrhachis mackayi is a relatively uncommon species that builds its nests between the leaves of trees and shrubs, mostly along the margins of lowland rainforests and woodlands (Kohout 2006).

Identification
Characterised by the evenly convex proﬁle of the mesosomal dorsum, rounded pronotal humeri, a completely unarmed propodeum and relatively short and subequal petiolar spines (Kohout 2006).

Distribution
From just north of Mackay in Queensland south to Taree in northern New South Wales, where, together with Polyrhachis pilosa it represents the southern-most limit of the distribution of the subgenus (Kohout 2006).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  mackayi. Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) mackayi Donisthorpe, 1938c: 258, fig. 9 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA. See also: Kohout, 2006b: 100.

Worker
Black, shining, usual sculpture; legs dark brown, antennre and tarsi black, palpi light brown. Head as in rastellata, but not so broad, broader than in burmanensis. Thorax not nearly so massive and broad as in rastellata, but broader than in burmanensis. Scale narrow as in the latter, but with smaller blunter teeth. Long. 4·7 mm.

Queen
Similar to the worker, except the usual caste differences, but the shoulders are more rounded and the teeth on the scale are blunter. Long. 6.3 mm.

Type Material
Syntype workers and queen - as reported by Kohout (2006).

Type Locality Information
QUEENSLAND, Mackay, col. R.E. Turner.

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.