PolyrhachisPolyrhachis ammon (Golden-tailed Spiny Ant) Polyrhachis erato Polyrhachis femorata (Southern Broad-nosed Spiny Ant)
Polyrhachis femorata, commonly known as the Southern Broad-nosed Spiny Ant, is an arboreal ant that tends to be quite shy.
Their features include a combination of the orange-coloured femur and the distinctive shape of the petiolar node that aid in the identification of this species of ant.

A discovery by researchers of the University of South Australia, that “a colony of Polyrhachis femorata ants appeared to be dead… until one moved.”3



- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Hymenoptera
- Superfamily: Vespoidea
- Family: Formicidae
- Subfamily: Formicinae
- Tribe: Camponotini
- Genus: Polyrhachis
- Subgenus: infrageneric Campomyrma
- Species: Polyrhachis femorata
Footnote & References
- Photographs © Deb Taylor
- Polyrhachis (Campomyrma) femorata Smith, 1858, Ant, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Polyrhachis (Campomyrma) femorata
- Kangaroo Island ants ‘play dead’ to avoid predators, 4 May 2023, University of South Australia, https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2023/kangaroo-island-ants-play-dead-to-avoid-predators/
PolyrhachisPolyrhachis ammon (Golden-tailed Spiny Ant) Polyrhachis erato Polyrhachis femorata (Southern Broad-nosed Spiny Ant)
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)
InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub