FormicidaeAnts Camponotus aurocinctus Camponotus consobrinus (Banded Sugar Ant) Camponotus inflatus (Honey Ant) Dolichoderus doriae (Dolly Ant) Leptomyrmex erythrocephalus (Red-headed Spider Ant) Myrmecia brevinoda (Nocturnal Bull Ant) Myrmecia nigrocincta (Jumping Jack Ant) Myrmecia pilosula (Jack Jumper Ant) Myrmecia pyriformis (Inch Ant) Myrmecia rubripes (Bullant) Notoncus spinisquamis Oecophylla smaragdina (Green Tree Ant) Rhytidoponera aspera Rhytidoponera metallica (Green-head Ant)
Native to Australia, Myrmecia brevinoda is a species of bull ant that are mainly found in the eastern states of Queensland (in the eastern areas), New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. There have also been a couple of observations in the south west region of Western Australia.
With the common name of Giant Bulldog Ant or Nocturnal Bull Ant, the worker ants can be up to 3.7 cm in length, with the queens exceeding 4 cm in length, making them our biggest ants. The body of these ants are a dark red, except for the bulbous part of the abdomen, which is black.
They have an amazing long and powerful looking jaws, however, it is the other end of the ant that will hurt more, dispensing a painful and venomous sting!
Like other Bull Ants species, they are gifted with with good eye sight, allowing them to track and follow intruders from a distance of 1 metre. So it is highly recommended that you do not disturb their nest. Unlike Myrmecia gulosa, who are active during the day, Myrmecia brevinoda are active during the night.
Distinguishing features between the two species Myrmecia brevinoda and Myrmecia gulosa is the colour of the mandibles and the two tone abdomen and lighter overall colour of Myrmecia gulosa.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Hymenoptera
- Superfamily: Verspoidea
- Family: Formicidae
- Subfamily: Myrmeciinae
- Genus: Myrmecia
- Species: Myrmecia brevinoda
Footnote & References
- Photographs Myrmecia brevinoda © Marc Newman
- Myrmecia brevinoda Forel, 1910, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/e4cbc120-33dc-4838-8748-4ed89976aa3d
- Giant Bulldog Ant Myrmecia brevinoda, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/201973-Myrmecia-brevinoda
FormicidaeAnts Camponotus aurocinctus Camponotus consobrinus (Banded Sugar Ant) Camponotus inflatus (Honey Ant) Dolichoderus doriae (Dolly Ant) Leptomyrmex erythrocephalus (Red-headed Spider Ant) Myrmecia brevinoda (Nocturnal Bull Ant) Myrmecia nigrocincta (Jumping Jack Ant) Myrmecia pilosula (Jack Jumper Ant) Myrmecia pyriformis (Inch Ant) Myrmecia rubripes (Bullant) Notoncus spinisquamis Oecophylla smaragdina (Green Tree Ant) Rhytidoponera aspera Rhytidoponera metallica (Green-head Ant)
InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera (True Bugs) Mango Planthopper Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Syrphidae Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub