Polyrhachis new species CAR
Type location Central African Republic
WORKER
Holotype - TL ca 11.4 mm, HL 2.50, HW 2.00, CI 80; SL 3.10, SI
155; EL (eye length) 0.5, OI 25; PW 1.40 (spine width at apex
2.40; ratio SPW =170), HF (hind-leg femur) 3.80
Specimen 2 - TL ca 11.2 mm, HL 3.00, HW 2.20, CI 73; SL 3.50, SI
159; EL 0.60, OI 28; PW 1.50 (spine width at apex 2.65, ratio
176), HF 3.60
At first sight, this appears to be close to
Polyrhachis
militaris but it is separable on a number of counts.
Most distinctive is the propodeum which has a sharp transverse
carina between the bases of the spines. In Bolton's key
(1973b) this separates P. militaris (which lacks a
transverse ridge) from
Polyrhachis
latispina. The latter, however, otherwise is quite
distinctive.
I have sighted specimens of P. militaris from six
countries (Cameroun, CAR, Gabon, Liberia, Ghana and Nigeria) and
overall the size of the new species is near the lower end of the
P. militaris size range (Bolton, 1973b). However, the new
species has a much narrower pronotum, measured at the base of the
more flared spines, SPW 170-176; with the latter in P.
militaris SPW = 135).
The propodeal spines appear to be significantly larger than on
any of the "varieties" of militaris. The overall
dense yellow-gold pubescence also seems distinctive, especially
the very dense coarse covering on the alitrunk dorsum. The head in
full-face view is ovoid with a strongly convex occipitum. In P.
militaris the full face view generally is straight-sided or
nearly so and the occiput is transverse, often near straight. The
funiculus gradually thickens from base to apex, whereas it is more
slender and uniformly narrow thoughout its length in P.
militaris.
The underlying sculpturation mostly is concealed by the dense
pubescence but that on the head is of a fine dense spiculation
(rather than the fine striation seen on P. militaris) and
the mandibles are more coarsely striate.
Apparently an inhabitant of primary forest canopy,as collected
at 38 m above ground on Triplochiton scleroxylon,
Sterculariaceae.
The photomontage is of the holotype specimen from Central
African Republic, Camp 6 GR; 02°55’04.8" N 16°10’09.7"
E, 450m environ; 25.02.2005, U.V : 18h30-5h30, à 38m du sol
dans un Ayous (Triplochiton scleroxylon, Sterculariaceae),
orage à partir de 5h40 et ce jusqu’à midi,
collected by Philippe Annoyer. Other images can be seen in the
folder at - 
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Second
Specimen
Third
Specimen labelled GN, collected 21h-6h30. Other images can be seen
in the folder at -