D I S C O V E R    L I F E   
Bee Hunt! Odonata Lepidoptera 
  HomeAll Living ThingsIDnature guidesGlobal mapperAlbumsLabelsSearch
  AboutNewsEventsResearchEducationProjectsStudy sitesHelp


Polyrhachis parabiotica Chapman, 1963
Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Formicidae   Polyrhachis

Polyrhachis parabiotica, ant garden
© Victor Gapud, 2003 · 1
Polyrhachis parabiotica, ant garden

Click on map for details about points.

80x5 - 240x3 - 240x4 - 320x1 - 320x2 - 320x3 - 640x1 - 640x2
Set display option above.
Click on images to enlarge.
Polyrhachis parabiotica, head
© Copyright Gary Alpert, 2005-2008 · 0
Polyrhachis parabiotica, head
Polyrhachis parabiotica, side
© Copyright Gary Alpert, 2005-2008 · 0
Polyrhachis parabiotica, side

Polyrhachis parabiotica, top
© Copyright Gary Alpert, 2005-2008 · 0
Polyrhachis parabiotica, top
Polyrhachis parabiotica, queen, head
© Copyright Gary Alpert, 2005-2008 · 0
Polyrhachis parabiotica, queen, head

Polyrhachis parabiotica, queen, side
© Copyright Gary Alpert, 2005-2008 · 0
Polyrhachis parabiotica, queen, side
Polyrhachis parabiotica, queen top
© Copyright Gary Alpert, 2005-2008 · 0
Polyrhachis parabiotica, queen top
Overview
This species is a mimic of a locally-dominant myrmicine ant, Myrmicaria brunnea.

Names
Scientific source:

Geographic distribution
In the Philippines, Cuernos de Negros Mountains, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental Province, Negros Island and Mt. Isarog Natural Park, Camarines Sur Province, Luzon Island.

Natural history
This species has been found to nest arboreally in the roots of saprophytic ferns. The Isarog populations are darker in color than the Dumaguete populations, matching the variation in color of the ant being mimicked.

How to encounter
Look for ant gardens in the roots of ferns growing on tree trunks. Beat low vegetation over a white sheet.

References
Hung, A.C.F. 1967. A revision of the ant genus Polyrhachis at the subgeneric level. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 93: 395-422.

Kohout, R.J. 1998. New synonyms and nomenclatural changes in the ant genus Polyrhachis Fr. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 42(2): 505-531.

Dorow, W.H.O. 1995. Revision of the ant genus Polyrhachis Smith, 1857 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) on subgenus level with keys, checklist of species and bibliography. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 185: 1-113.


Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Vic Gapud for sharing his excellent field photo of the ant garden that he found on Mt. Isarog.

Supported by
go to Discover Life's Facebook group

Updated: 2024-03-28 13:45:06 gmt
Discover Life | Top
© Designed by The Polistes Corporation