Polyrhachis

Smith, F., 1858, Catalogue of the hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part VI. Formicidae., London: British Museum : 58

Genus 5. POLYRHACHIS .

Formica , pt., Fabr. Syst. Eut. 394 (1775).

Maxillary palpi 6-jointed, elongate; labial palpi 4-jointed; mandibles stout, their inner edge denticulate. Ocelli obsolete in the workers. Thorax more or less armed with spines or hooks; scale of the peduncle incrassate, usually spinose, having two, three, or four spines. Wings with one marginal and two submarginal cells, the discoidal cells obsolete. Abdomen subglobose.

We are indebted to Mr. T. C. Jerdon for the first account of the habits of this genus of Ants; speaking of the F. nidificans , he says: " This Ant makes a small nest about half an inch, or rather more, in diameter, of some papyraceous material, which it fixes on a leaf. I have opened two, each of which contained one female and eight or ten workers. It is very rare, and I have only seen it in Malabar." Since the publication of these remarks, a nest of one of the species has been received from Malacca; it was discovered by Mr. Wallace, and exactly agrees with Mr. Jerdon's description. Pl. IV. figs. 10, 11.

Species of India, the Eastern Archipelago, China, and Philippine Islands. Sp. 1-14.