Pachycondyla harpax (Fabricius)

Brown, W. L., 1950, Morphological, taxonomic and other notes on ants., Wasmann Journal of Biology 8, pp. 241-250 : 247

Pachycondyla harpax (Fabricius) .

Formica harpax Fabricius , 1804, Systema Piezatorum, p. 401, worker.

Pachycondyla montezumia, Pred. Smith, 1858, Catalogue of the Hymenoptera of the British Museum, 6:108, worker, [[male]]. (New synonymy.)

Pachycondyla harpax var. dibullana Forel, 1901, Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 9:347, worker. (New synonymy.)

Pachycondyla harpax var. irina Wheeler , 1925, Arkiv fuer Zoologi, 17A (8):5, worker. (New synonymy.)

Pachycondyla harpax var. concinna Wheeler , 1925, Ibid., p. 5, worker, [[queen]]. (New synonymy.)

I have examined many specimens of the P. harpax complex, including those in the Wheeler collection placed as P. montezumia , and types of P. h. irina and P. h. concinna . The northsouth variation which has been claimed by Forel and Wheeler as the basis for retention of P. montezumia seems to me very difficult to demonstrate. I would call this situation at most a very weak cline. If I could pick a random series of this group from throughout the range and hide the labels, I feel sure that the percentage of determinations to the correct "race" by any competent entomologist would be little more than could be accounted for by chance. The bluish metallic reflections seen in many P. harpax workers constitute a widely distributed phenomenon among dark ponerines which is greatly overworked as a taxonomic criterion. State of preservation of specimens, presence of oil or dirt, and other factors can affect this metallescence to such a degree that its value is highly doubtful. Under a bluewhite fluorescent lamp, it cannot be seen at all, even when clear under a yellow light. If P. harpax can be broken down into categories correctly bearing the names synonymized above, there is presently no published proof of the fact that cannot easily be refuted by the proper survey of the series at hand in most large American and European museums. Additional collecting may change the interpretation here set forth, but if any of the names listed above are to be resurrected, it will have to be on a sounder basis than were the original definitions. The palps are segmented 4, 4.