Polyrhachis gagates F. Smith

Type location South Africa (F. Smith, 1858b: 71, illustrated, worker; Forel, 1886f: 194, queen); junior synonyms clariseta (Santschi, 1910c: 400, worker), congolensis (Santschi, 1910c: 399, worker) and nigriseta (Santschi, 1910c: 399, worker; with junior synonym indefinata from Zaïre, Forel, 1913b: 349, worker) from Congo, and obsidiana from Gabon (Emery, 1921e: 21, worker); also material of unavailable name acheron from Zimbabwe (Arnold, 1924: 746, worker) (Bolton, 1973b: 305, not illustrated; also see Bolton, 1995) .

F Smith's (1858b) description is at . Forel 1879a) gave a full description, this is at . Arnold (1924) gave an illustrated translation, this, with his description of acheron is at . Santschi's (1910c) descriptions of congolensis (as a gagates variety) and nigriseta, with clariseta as a variety, are at . Forel's (1913b) description of indefinita is at . Emery's (1921e) description of obsidiana is at . Bolton's modern description (1973b) is at .

WORKER - TL 11.3-13.2 mm, HL 2.66-3.03, HW 2.04-2.40, SL 3.34-3.56, PW 1.59-1.74
Variable species, separable from the other large species by a relative lack of erect hairs - on dorsal alitrunk only on pronotum; and gaster highly polished. Colour black, head and alitrunk dull or shining, gaster always highly polished; no more than very fine pubescence.

Ground nesting species of dryish savannah and scrub, whose nesting habit was illustrated by Wheeler (1922), see right and "click" for enlarged view.

Forel (1911f) found specimens of congolensis in the Congo Museum from Zaïre, Congo da Lemba, by Mayné. It is a widespread and very plastic species, found through east and southern Africa.