Primary type information:
Primary type material: neotype worker (by designation of
Zettel, 2019: 68). Primary type locality: neotype Thailand: Chiang Mai Province, Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, environment of Monthatarn Falls, N 18°48', E 98°56', 700-750 m a.s.l., 6.xi.1995 (
H. Zettel (#8)). Primary type depository:
NHMW.
Type notes:
1) Original material: holotype worker, (“Habitat in insula St. Iohannis Indiae.”) (= Comoros: Anjouan I.) (no further data), unknown type depository. 2)
Fabricius, 1775: 394, and many others (most recently
Kohout, 2014: 10), attribute this taxon to
Drury, 1773: 73, pl. 38, figs. 7, 8 (w.) (“from the island of Johanna, near Madagascar”).
Drury, 1773's work contains both description and illustration, but the species is not named.
Fabricius, 1775: 394, marks the first appearance of the name
Polyrhachis bihamata. 3) Erroneous type locality is Comoros: Anjouan I. This was previously recorded as “Insula St. Iohannis Indiae” by
Fabricius, 1775: 394,
Fabricius, 1782: 493,
Fabricius, 1793: 361, and
Fabricius, 1804: 411; as “Insel St. Johannis und Madagaskar” by
Christ, 1791: 509; as “île de Sainte-Jeanne, près de Madagascar” by
Olivier, 1792: 499, and
Latreille, 1802a: 128; and as “l’île d’Anjouan, l’une des Comores” by
Forel, 1891c: 79. Type locality in error, not Comoros/Madagascar:
Bolton, 1973b: 352.
Emery, 1890a: 71, pointed out that
Polyrhachis bihamata was, “molto diffusa nell’Indochina e nell’archipelago indiano”.
Forel, 1891c: 79, added that
Polyrhachis bihamata, “n’a jamais été retrouvée ni en Afrique ni à Madagascar”.