Polyrhachis viscosa F.Smith

Type location South Africa (F. Smith, 1858b: 71, illustrated, worker ); junior synonyms antinorii (Emery, 1877b: 365, illustrated, worker) from Ethiopia, imatongica (Weber, 1943c: 388, illustrated, worker) from Sudan, and spretula (Santschi, 1923e: 294, worker & queen) from Zaïre, at Kasai, Dumbi, 6.x.1921; worker & queen known (see Bolton, 1995) .

F Smith's (1858b) description is at . Emery's (1877b) description of antinorii is at . Arnold (1924) gave an illustrated (petiole) translation; this is at . Santschi's (1923e) description of spretula is at . Weber's (1943c) description of imatongica is at . Bolton's modern description (1973b) is at .

WORKER - TL 5.9-7.6 mm; eyes flat to weakly convex. No erect hairs on alitrunk or gaster; all surfaces with no more than a very sparse short, greyish pubescence (Bolton, 1973b: 330, illustrated, full-face view, alitrunk profile, antennal scape, anterior petiole).

A savannah species, nesting directly into sandy soil, usually in open localities; foragers occur mostly on the ground but also ascend low bushes, trees and grass stems (Bolton, 1973b).

Bolton (1973b) gave a fairly short but very wide-ranging list of occurrences from Ghana, at Nakong and Tumu (P.M. Room); Mole Game Reserve (J.C. Grieg); Kwabenya and Legon (D. Leston), Amfeda and Prampram (C.A. Collingwood).

From Nigeria, at Badeggi (J.T. Medler) and Madaki (M.G. Wood); then eastwards and southwards to South Africa.

The photomontage of imatongica is collated from http://mcz-28168.oeb.harvard.edu/mcz/FMPro?-DB=Image.fm&-Lay=web&-Format=images.htm&Species_ID=26114&-Find.

The photomontage is of a specimen from Tanzania, Mkomazi Game Reserve, 3°54.74' S 37°48.49' E, pkd collection from Combretum molle, 15.i.1996, by G McGavin. Other images can be seen in the folder at -