Polyrhachis latharis

Rigato, Fabrizio, 2016, The ant genus Polyrhachis F. Smith in sub-Saharan Africa, with descriptions of ten new species. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 4088 (1) : 27

Polyrhachis latharis Bolton

Polyrhachis latharis Bolton, 1973: 348 , figs. 49, 60. Holotype worker, GHANA: eastern region, Mt. Atewa, primary forest, by pyrethrum knock-down, sample A5/7, 12.vii.1969 (D. Leston) (BMNH) [not seen. AntWeb pictures under the code CASENT0903460].

Diagnosis. Among alexisi- group species it is distinctive for its somewhat trapezoidal elongate head, whose sides are faintly concave in front of the eyes, quadrispinose petiole, and marginate pronotum and propodeum. Lateral propodeal margins run much closer to each other than the actual propodeal width.

Bolton’s figures (1973) show a 4-toothed clypeal lobe; yet the holotype’s lobe is actually 5-toothed as well as in a single worker recently collected in the Republic of the Congo, whose measurements are: HL 1.34, HW 1.15, CI 86, SL 1.50, SI 130, FW 0.36, FI 31, PW 1.28, WL 1.83, HTL 1.48.

Material examined. REP. of the CONGO: Niari Region, 2.31614 S 12.80933 E, 666 m, 4.vii.2013, primary forest, canopy fogging (L. Niemand). (1 w, AFRC: LN-RC1 0 38, CASENT0250035).