Polyrhachis phidias Forel
Type location 'Equatorial
Africa' (Polyrhachis Phidias
n. sp., Forel, 1910e: 450, worker)
worker only described (Bolton,
1973b: 316, illustrated, head and petiole only) .
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Nigeria specimens; apparently larger than
Forel's (Taylor, 1978: 23). WORKER. TL 4.9-5.1 mm, HL 1.18-1.26, HW
1.03-1.08, SL 1.18-1.26, PW 1.08-1.13
Dorso-lateral corners of head almost rectangular in front view, and the
sides of head in front of the eyes is shallowly convex. Erect hairs on
all dorsal surfaces, absent from the antennal scapes. Pubescence short
and grey. Head and dorsum of alitrunk finely longitudinally
striate-rugose. Alitrunk marginate laterally throughout its length,
broken only at the sutures. Sutures are well developed and the
metanotal groove is impressed. The petiole has long acute lateral
spines and a pair of short, triangular dorsal teeth. Anterior face of
first gastral segment strongly concave.
Collected by me at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Idi Ayunre,
on low shrub vegetation around a cocoa plot.
Strangely, not listed by Rigato (2016: 37) who, however reported findings from Central African Republic, many from Dzangha-Sangha and Dzangha-Ndoki; and, Tanzania,
Kigoma Region, Gombe Stream N.P., 4°42’S 29°37’E, thickset woodland,
from trail, 798–1115 m, ix.2009–i.2010 (R. O’Malley) (1 w, HLMD: RO 09-1240). None of those are on Antweb (June 2018).
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