Myrmecia forceps

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Myrmecia forceps
Myrmecia forceps 15082014 casent0914018 p 1 high.jpg
M. forceps worker
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmeciinae
Genus: Myrmecia
Species:
M. forceps
Binomial name
Myrmecia forceps
Roger, 1861

Myrmecia forceps is an Australian ant in the genus Myrmecia . This species is native to Australia and commonly distributed in most of the southern regions of Australia. They were described by Roger in 1861. [1]

Characteristics

M. forceps is a moderately big bull ant at 19-24 mm long. Queens are the biggest at 25 mm, while the males are smaller. Their heads and thoraces are brown, femora are in a lighter brown colour, mandibles, antennae, and several other features can be yellow or reddish yellow. [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Myrmecia</i> (ant) Genus of ants

Myrmecia is a genus of ants first established by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1804. The genus is a member of the subfamily Myrmeciinae of the family Formicidae. Myrmecia is a large genus of ants, comprising at least 93 species that are found throughout Australia and its coastal islands, while a single species is only known from New Caledonia. One species has been introduced out of its natural distribution and was found in New Zealand in 1940, but the ant was last seen in 1981. These ants are commonly known as bull ants, bulldog ants or jack jumper ants, and are also associated with many other common names. They are characterized by their extreme aggressiveness, ferocity, and painful stings. Some species are known for the jumping behavior they exhibit when agitated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack jumper ant</span> Species of ant

The jack jumper ant, also known as the jack jumper, jumping jack, hopper ant, or jumper ant, is a species of venomous ant native to Australia. Most frequently found in Tasmania and southeast mainland Australia, it is a member of the genus Myrmecia, subfamily Myrmeciinae, and was formally described and named by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858. This species is known for its ability to jump long distances. These ants are large; workers and males are about the same size: 12 to 14 mm for workers, and 11 to 12 mm for males. The queen measures roughly 14 to 16 mm long and is similar in appearance to workers, whereas males are identifiable by their perceptibly smaller mandibles.

<i>Myrmecia forficata</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia forficata, commonly known as the inchman ant, is a species of bull ant that is native to Australia. The ants are recorded in the south eastern part of the country, but are most common in the Australian Alps at elevations above 300m but can be found down to sea level around Melbourne and in Tasmania.

<i>Myrmecia gulosa</i> Species of ant

The red bull ant, also known as the giant bull ant or "hoppy joe", is a species of bulldog ant from the genus Myrmecia. It is abundant throughout Eastern Australia.

<i>Myrmecia nigriceps</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia nigriceps, also known as the black-headed bull ant, is a species of ant endemic to Australia. A member of the genus Myrmecia in the subfamily Myrmeciinae, it was first described by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr in 1862. These ants are large, varying from 19 to 23 millimetres in length. However, colonies contain workers that are much smaller, usually half the size of normal workers. The queens are the largest while the males are the smallest, which can be easily identified due to their small mandibles.

<i>Myrmecia esuriens</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia esuriens, also known as Tasmanian inchman, is a species of bulldog ant native to Tasmania.

<i>Myrmecia desertorum</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia desertorum is an Australian ant species belonging to the genus Myrmecia. They were first described by Wheeler in 1915, and are distributed all over Australia.

<i>Myrmecia pyriformis</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia pyriformis, also known as the bull ant or inch ant, is an Australian ant. Myrmecia pyriformis belongs to the genus Myrmecia. It is abundant in many major cities of Australia, but mostly spotted in the eastern states. The species is of a similar appearance to the Myrmecia forficata.

<i>Myrmecia nigrocincta</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia nigrocincta, commonly known as the jumper ant or jumping jack, is an ant of the genus Myrmecia. The species was first described by Frederick Smith in 1858. Colonies of this ant are abundant in eastern Australia. Ants of this species are known for their ability to jump up to 10 centimetres, and they also have a powerful, venomous sting. Rather than foraging on the ground, M. nigrocincta prefer to forage in trees where they are known to pollinate certain flowers.

<i>Myrmecia fulvipes</i> Species of ant from Australia

Myrmecia fulvipes is a bull ant belonging the genus Myrmecia. Native to Australia, these bull ants are found in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.

<i>Myrmecia flavicoma</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia flavicoma is an ant species native to Australia. This species is a member of the genus Myrmecia. It was first described in 1861 by Julius Roger. Myrmecia flavicoma is found in Queensland and some areas of New South Wales.

<i>Myrmecia harderi</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia harderi is an Australian bull ant species which is part of the genus Myrmecia. They are native to Australia. They are mainly distributed in New South Wales, and some parts of Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland.

<i>Myrmecia chasei</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia chasei is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia. The Myrmecia chasei has a large presence and distribution in the south-eastern areas of Western Australia.

<i>Myrmecia rufinodis</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia rufinodis is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia. Their distribution in Australia can be commonly found in South Australia. It was described by Fredrick Smith in 1858.

<i>Myrmecia nigriscapa</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia nigriscapa is an Australian ant in the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia and is heavily distributed along the southern coastlines of Australia with some presence in the inner areas of Australia.

<i>Myrmecia cydista</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia cydista is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia. They are typically distributed in New South Wales and Queensland, and have been seen in several other states.

<i>Myrmecia fuscipes</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia fuscipes is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia. Their distribution is heavily observed in South Australia and Western Australia.

<i>Myrmecia exigua</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia exigua is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia. Myrmecia exigua has only been observed in the north west of Victoria. It was first described by John S. Clark in 1943.

References

  1. "Myrmecia forceps Roger, 1861". Atlas of Living Australia . Govt of Australia. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  2. Clark, John (1951). The Formicidae of Australia (Volume 1) (PDF). Melbourne: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia. pp. 24–25.
  3. Brown, William (1953). Revisionary notes on the ant genus Myrmecia of Australia (PDF). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. p. 7.