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)

First described in 1858, Myrmecia mandibularis is an Australian species of Myrmecia (Bull Ants group) found mainly in the southern regions of Australia. With the common name of Toothless Bull Ant, Myrmecia mandibularis is around 15–30 mm in length, with black mandibles, and orange colour abdomen.

At first they seemed to be working together and after a while they weren’t. One seemed to be trying to steal the cockroach off the other one and when they finally dropped to the ground the one left not hanging on looked really angry. It was rushing around in circles looking for the cockroach. I was amazed at the strength of the one holding the cockroach and the other ant as it moved around on the hanging cockroach. The top ant then dragged the lot down the frond. Quite a feat.

Source: Jean and Fred Hort
Myrmecia mandibularis, Wandering WA © Jean and Fred Hort
Myrmecia mandibularis, Wandering WA © Jean and Fred Hort

I just had to photograph this pretty ant yesterday while I was out. The ant wanted to be elsewhere so we had to put it into a bowl to photograph it. 🙂

For some reason, the orange is more vivid than it was. All of my photos came out like it. Size 15mm

Source: Jean and Fred Hort
Myrmecia mandibularis, Mt Cooke WA © Jean and Fred Hort
Myrmecia mandibularis, Mt Cooke WA © Jean and Fred Hort

I took a few photographs of this one and released it a few metres away where it disappeared under the leaf litter. After about 15 minutes it appeared again and I watched it walk slowly in a fairly straight line and then disappear down a hole.

Source: Jean and Fred Hort
Myrmecia mandibularis, Julimar State Forest WA © Jean and Fred Hort
Myrmecia mandibularis, Julimar State Forest WA © Jean and Fred Hort
Myrmecia mandibularis, Julimar State Forest WA © Jean and Fred Hort
Myrmecia mandibularis, Julimar State Forest WA © Jean and Fred Hort
Myrmecia mandibularis disappeared into this hole in the ground, Julimar State Forest WA © Jean and Fred Hort
Myrmecia mandibularis disappeared into this hole in the ground, Julimar SF WA © Jean and Fred Hort

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Hymenoptera
  • Superfamily: Verspoidea
  • Family: Formicidae
  • Subfamily: Myrmeciinae
  • Tribe: Myrmeciini
  • Genus: Myrmecia
  • Species: Myrmecia mandibularis

    Source: Atlas of Living Australia3

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Subclass: Pterygota
  • Order: Hymenoptera
  • Suborder: Apocrita
  • Infraorder: Aculeata
  • Superfamily: Formicoidea
  • Family: Formicidae
  • Subfamily: Myrmeciinae
  • Genus: Myrmecia
  • Complex Myrmecia mandibularis
    • Myrmecia fulviculis
    • Myrmecia fulvipes
    • Myrmecia gilberti
    • Myrmecia luteiforceps
    • Myrmecia mandibularis
    • Myrmecia piliventris
    • Myrmecia potteri

      Source: iNaturalistAU4

Footnote & References

  1. Photographs Myrmecia mandibularis © Jean and Fred Hort
  2. Myrmecia mandibularis, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecia_mandibularis
  3. Myrmecia mandibularis Smith, 1858, Toothless Bull Ant, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Myrmecia mandibularis
  4. Mandibularis-group Bull Ants Complex Myrmecia mandibularis, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/1373596-Myrmecia-mandibularis

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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