Polyrhachis militaris

Smith, F., 1858, Catalogue of the hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part VI. Formicidae., London: British Museum : 72

48. Polyrhachis militaris . Pl. III. fig. 5, & Pl. IV. fig. 36. B.M.

Formica militaris, Fabr. Spec. Ins. i. 493. 30 [[queen]]; Mant. Ins. i. 310. 37; Ent. Syst. iL 362. 50; Syst. Piez. 414. 73.

Oliv. Encycl. Meth. vi. 499. 46.

Latr. Hist. Nat. Fourm. 124. pl. iv. f. 22 [[queen]].

Hab. Africa (Guinea; Sierra Leone).

The type-specimen of this species is in the Banksian Collection; the insect is covered with a fine cinereous pile, the head and thorax are finely longitudinally rugulose, the spines on the prothorax are short, stout, and acute; the metathorax quadrate above, with the posterior and lateral margins carinated, the abdomen sprinkled with erect, pale hairs.

The male has the head and thorax coarsely rugose, the thorax more elongate than in the female, with two short acute spines in front and two longer ones on the metathorax; the petiole has only two spines, which are curved backwards over the base of the abdomen; the latter is elongate-ovate, and covered with fine, silky, cinereous pile.

The male is in the Collection of W. W. Saunders, Esq.