FormicidaeFormicidae Index Ants More Ants in Australia Caste Systems, Colonies and Anthills Invasive Ants in Australia Camponotus Ants Camponotus aurocinctus Camponotus consobrinus (Banded Sugar Ant) Camponotus inflatus (Honey Ant) Camponotus innexus (Antarctic Sugar Ant) Chelaner kiliani (Mono Ant) Dolichoderus doriae (Dolly Ant) Dolichoderus scabridus Leptomyrmex erythrocephalus (Red-headed Spider Ant) Melophorus bagoti Myrmecia brevinoda (Nocturnal Bull Ant) Myrmecia gulosa (Red Bull Ant) Myrmecia impaternata Myrmecia mandibularis Myrmecia nigrocincta (Jumping Jack Ant) Myrmecia pilosula (Jack Jumper Ant) Myrmecia pyriformis (Inch Ant) Myrmecia rubripes (Bullant) Myrmecia tarsata (Australian Jumper Ant) Notoncus gilberti Notoncus spinisquamis Odontomachus sp (Trap-jaw Ant) Oecophylla smaragdina (Green Tree Ant) Polyrhachis Rhytidoponera aspera Rhytidoponera metallica (Green-head Ant)

A reddish looking ant Melophorus bagoti, is also commonly known as the Red Honey Ant. It is considered one of the most thermophilic ants in Australia (able to live in high temperatures). They forage in the heat of the day, looking for dead insects and plant exudates (such as resins, gums, leaves and seeds etc).

The Australian red honey ant, Melophorus bagoti, stands out as the most thermophilic ant in Australia, engaging in all outdoor activities during the hottest periods of the day during summer months. This species of desert ants often navigates by means of path integration and learning landmark cues around the nest…

Source: Learning walks in an Australian desert ant, Melophorus bagoti, Sudhakar Deeti, Ken Cheng1

Pictured here in Alice Springs, are Melophorus bagoti ants dragging their prey (a katydid) back to the nest.

Red Honey Ant (Melophorus bagoti), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Red Honey Ant (Melophorus bagoti), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Red Honey Ant (Melophorus bagoti), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Red Honey Ant (Melophorus bagoti), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Red Honey Ant (Melophorus bagoti), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Red Honey Ant (Melophorus bagoti), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Red Honey Ant (Melophorus bagoti), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Red Honey Ant (Melophorus bagoti), Alice Springs Desert Park NT

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Hymenoptera
  • Superfamily: Verspoidea
  • Family: Formicidae
  • Subfamily: Formicinae
  • Tribe: Melophorini
  • Genus: Melophorus
  • Species: Melophorus bagoti

Footnote & References

  1. Deeti S, Cheng K. Learning walks in an Australian desert ant, Melophorus bagoti. J Exp Biol. 2021 Aug 15;224(16):jeb242177. doi: 10.1242/jeb.242177. Epub 2021 Aug 26. PMID: 34435625; PMCID: PMC8407660, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39452390/
  2. Many thanks to Ben Hoffmann for ID, member of NT Field Naturalists’ Club Inc, https://www.facebook.com/groups/ntfieldnaturalistsclub/
  3. Many thanks to Matthew Connors for ID, member of Entomology Australia “Invertebratology”, https://www.facebook.com/groups/507004496955277/
  4. Many thanks to oneanttofew for ID, ausemade observation, member of iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/259594796
  5. Melophorus bagoti Lubbock, 1883, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Melophorus bagoti
  6. Red Honey Ant (Melophorus bagoti), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/895926-Melophorus-bagoti
  7. Red Honey Ant (Melophorus bagoti), ausemade observations, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/259594796

FormicidaeFormicidae Index Ants More Ants in Australia Caste Systems, Colonies and Anthills Invasive Ants in Australia Camponotus Ants Camponotus aurocinctus Camponotus consobrinus (Banded Sugar Ant) Camponotus inflatus (Honey Ant) Camponotus innexus (Antarctic Sugar Ant) Chelaner kiliani (Mono Ant) Dolichoderus doriae (Dolly Ant) Dolichoderus scabridus Leptomyrmex erythrocephalus (Red-headed Spider Ant) Melophorus bagoti Myrmecia brevinoda (Nocturnal Bull Ant) Myrmecia gulosa (Red Bull Ant) Myrmecia impaternata Myrmecia mandibularis Myrmecia nigrocincta (Jumping Jack Ant) Myrmecia pilosula (Jack Jumper Ant) Myrmecia pyriformis (Inch Ant) Myrmecia rubripes (Bullant) Myrmecia tarsata (Australian Jumper Ant) Notoncus gilberti Notoncus spinisquamis Odontomachus sp (Trap-jaw Ant) Oecophylla smaragdina (Green Tree Ant) Polyrhachis Rhytidoponera aspera Rhytidoponera metallica (Green-head Ant)

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