Polyrhachis phidias Forel

Type location 'Equatorial Africa' (Forel, 1910e: 450, worker); worker only described (Bolton, 1973b: 316, illustrated, head and petiole only) .

Forel's (1910e) description is at . Bolton's modern description (1973b) is at .

Nigeria specimens; apparently larger than Forel's (Taylor, 1978: 23). WORKER. TL 4.9-5.1 mm, HL 1.18-1.26, HW 1.03-1.08, SL 1.18-1.26, PW 1.08-1.13
Dorso-lateral corners of head almost rectangular in front view, and the sides of head in front of the eyes is shallowly convex. Erect hairs on all dorsal surfaces, absent from the antennal scapes. Pubescence short and grey. Head and dorsum of alitrunk finely longitudinally striate-rugose. Alitrunk marginate laterally throughout its length, broken only at the sutures. Sutures are well developed and the metanotal groove is impressed. The petiole has long acute lateral spines and a pair of short, triangular dorsal teeth. Anterior face of first gastral segment strongly concave.
Collected by me at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Idi Ayunre, on low shrub vegetation around a cocoa plot.