Bull ants - Australian Museum

ANIMAL SPECIES:Bull ants

Bull ants have a fearsome reputation, and deservedly so.

Alternative Name/s

Bulldog ants

Number of species

Identification

Bull ants are large, alert ants that can grow up to 40 mm They have characteristic large eyes and long, slender mandibles and a potent venom-loaded sting. They have superior vision, able to track and even follow intruders from a distance of 1 metre. Many species of bull ants have bright red or orange colours on the head or abdomen.

There are about 90 species of bull ants in Australia with diverse behaviours and life cycles. Nine bull ant species have been recorded in Sydney, but there may be more as yet undiscovered. Some of the smaller species are known as jumper ants after their habit of aggressively jumping toward intruders.

Size range

8 mm - 40 mm

Distribution

Bull ants are found throughout Australia.

Habitat

Bull ants live in urban areas, forests and woodland, and heath.

Behaviour and adaptations

Feeding and Diet

Bull ants collect nectar and other plant juices, as well as animal prey, which are carried back to the nest.

Other behaviours and adaptations

Bull ant nests are usually underground and often have hidden or small entrances. The nests can extend several metres below the ground. They attack intruders of any size that come too close to their nest. Bull ants also have well-developed vision and will follow or even chase an intruder a good distance from the nest. Usually the sight of large aggressive ants streaming out of the nest is enough to prompt a hasty retreat. If not, the ants deliver painful stings by gripping the intruder with their mandibles (jaws), curling their abdomen to reveal the sting and injecting the victim with venom. Often multiple stings are delivered.

Life cycle

Several species have no colony workers. Instead, a raiding queen invades the nest of another species, kills the resident queen and takes over the colony.

Living with us

Danger to humans and first aid

These ants can deliver painful stings and are aggressive. An ice pack or commercially available spray may be used to relieve the pain of the sting. If there is evidence of an allergic reaction, medical attention should be sought.

Classification

Genus:: Myrmecia
Subfamily:: Myrmeciinae
Family:: Formicidae
Superfamily:: Vespoidea
Suborder:: Apocrita
Order:: Hymenoptera
Class:: Insecta
Subphylum:: Uniramia
Phylum:: Arthopoda
Kingdom:: Animalia

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Last Updated: 16 September 2011

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23 comments

STAFF

Dave Britton
2.03 PM, 14 March 2011

Hi Markus,

I could not locate a similar species in our collection. Whilst your photo is good, I can't see the characters that would let me key it out to a species group, and even if I did so I think it would be tricky to put it to species. Ogata (1991) has a key in his review of species groups in the genus Myrmecia (Systematic Entomology, 16:353-381) if you want to try for yourself. Good luck!

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swagman
12.03 AM, 13 March 2011

Hello I´m trying to identify a Myrmecia from southwest Western Australia (Photo attached). It´s probably some species out of the pilosula group I think. I have tried different keys, but unfortunately without success so far.

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STAFF

Dave Britton
9.11 AM, 11 November 2010

http://anic.ento.csiro.au/ants/biota_details.aspx?biotaid=37361 has detail on the genus Myrmecia

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rice_lover
12.11 AM, 09 November 2010

hello, im doing this project for class and its on bulldog ants. can you place give me some information on them, like their size,i wuold greatly appreciate it. write back!

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STAFF

Dave Britton
2.10 PM, 14 October 2010

In regards to collecting and identifying ants, you cannot go past Steve Shattuck's book "Australian Ants" from CSIRO Publishing. Much of the identification and other resources available inthis book are also available from the website What Bug is That? http://anic.ento.csiro.au/insectfamilies/

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STAFF

Dave Britton
2.10 PM, 14 October 2010

This one looks like Myrmecia nigrocincta, a common species along the coast. Like some other smaller Myrmecia it has the "jumping jack" behaviour when threatened or disturbed. This species seems to prefer arboreal foraging to being on the ground, and is often seen on the leaves of trees.

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youcantryreachingme
12.09 PM, 27 September 2010

Hi Dave, another ID for you (attached). This was from Oatley yesterday. Two of them came by, about 3cm each. They were not super aggressive - when I moved near them they jumped away from me multiple times, but eventually returning to their original path. This one (the second one) tried to jump across a hole in the ground and fell into the hole - it looked a bit silly. I've read elsewhere that the world's largest ant is from Australia at 3.6cm. Regarding the attached photo, I find the colouration unusual. For example, all the pics on this Aus Museum webpage show bulldog ants with red heads. This one has a black head. Quesion: if I wanted to do a proper survey of all ant species in my area (or as many as I can find), how should I go about it? (i.e. collecting, preserving, having identified)? Chris. PS - you should be able to reach me at my registered email address, or else via my website form at www.wherelightmeetsdark.com

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STAFF

Dave Britton
11.03 AM, 08 March 2010

In regards to the maximum size of bull ants:

The largest specimen in the Australian Museum collection is a queen of Myrmecia forficata collected from Oatley in 1952. She measures 33mm in length from tip of gaster to mandible. The size of bull ants within any one nest varies considerably, although queens are always bigger than the workers. Another Museum scientist tells me that he observed workers of a very large species in the Victorian mallee; presumably the queens of this species would exceed 33mm in length.

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STAFF

Dave Britton
11.03 AM, 08 March 2010

Dear Nathan,

The larger species of bull ants (eg. Myrmecia gulosa, M. brevinoda, M. forficata) occur in the south of Australia, including Tasmania, so it is not unusual to see one around Sydney. They are not common in urbanised areas as there is usually insufficient areas of natural bush in which they can forage for food. The nests are usually conspicuous raised domes covered in pebbles or small sticks, so if you have one nearby, you should be aware of it and avoid spending too much time nearby, as these ants are aggressive. They do not normally go indoors, but reproductives (males and females) are active during late summer and early autumn, and may be attracted to lights in houses.

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nat6678
10.03 PM, 07 March 2010

I think I have found a Bullant here in Sydney. Northern Beaches. It crawled onto my office desk and is about 2.5 cm in length. I didn't think it was possible for them to be this far South. Should I be concerned of more around the home,, if this one managed to crawl inside. I have 2 small kids. Please advise....

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reebo
9.02 PM, 27 February 2010

I have a bull ant in a plastic container ehat measures 32 millimetres!

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jacks
1.02 PM, 25 February 2010

david britton

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jacks
1.02 PM, 25 February 2010

UR SPAM!

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jacks
8.02 PM, 23 February 2010

I have a website that regards the size of the bull ant and it says that is can grow up to 40mm, so i don't know yet

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jacks
8.02 PM, 23 February 2010

Hello,i'm a bit unsure if that the bull ant can grow up to 40mm? I have asked other people and they say yes. Just like to get an answer. thanks.

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xyris
10.07 AM, 08 July 2009

Hi David, I am unable to contact you through your staff contact form.Thanks for passing on the possible ID information regarding my photo. I have other photos and the photo was taken at Jerusalem Creek on the Far North Coast of NSW if that info is of any interest to anyone. Thanks for your time Chris Graves

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STAFF

Dave Britton
9.07 AM, 08 July 2009

Dear Chris, here is the reply from our ant expert Derek Smith. The specimen in the photograph is most likely to be Myremcia fulviculus (legs lighter in colour than body, apex of gaster [near the sting] yellow), rather than M. piliventris (legs dark same colour as body, apex of gaster dark). However, there are 4 closely related named species with similar colouration and possibly several unnamed species in addition. I hope this helps. Dave.