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)
Myrmecia pyriformis is said to be one of Australia’s larger and aggressive ant species. Also commonly known as Black Bull-ant, Bull Ant, Brown Bulldog Ant and Inch Ant, it is the female that is the larger at up to 26 mm (1 inch). The male of species grow up to 23 mm.
Some species of Myrmecia possess the gamergates, the female workers of Myrmecia pyriformis, in the absence of a queen, are also able to reproduce.
It is most common in the eastern states, including Victoria and South Australia, with a couple of observations in the south-west of Western Australia.
The mandibles and parts of the limbs are dark red, whilst the thorax can be a blackish-brown.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Hymenoptera
- Superfamily: Verspoidea
- Family: Formicidae
- Subfamily: Myrmeciinae
- Genus: Myrmecia
- Species: Myrmecia pyriformis
Footnote & References
- Photographs Myrmecia pyriformis © Tony Eales
- Inch Ant (Myrmecia pyriformis), tjeales, iNaturalistAU, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/153030033
- Myrmecia pyriformis Smith, 1858, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/6f3a2b90-efa7-400f-9f0e-5a03d098e337
- Myrmecia pyriformis, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecia_pyriformis
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