Myrmecia varians

Myrmecia varians
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmeciinae
Genus:	Myrmecia
Species:	M. varians
Binomial name
Myrmecia varians Mayr, 1876

Myrmecia varians is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia . This species is endemic to Australia. The Myrmecia varians is one of the most distributed ants in the country, with the species being observed in every single state and territory except for Tasmania. Myrmecia varians was first described by Mayr in 1876. ^[1]

Appearance

The Myrmecia varians is a smaller species of bull ant. Average worker ants measure approximately 11–12.5 millimetres in length, while queens can grow up to 15–16 millimetres. The head, thorax, and gaster are black. The mandibles, basal segments, and half of the scapes are yellowish-brown. The apex and teeth are a more reddish color. The legs are yellowish-red, and both the node and postpetiole are also red. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

References

1. "Myrmecia varians Mayr, 1876". Atlas of Living Australia . Govt of Australia. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
2. Clark, John (1951). The Formicidae of Australia (Volume 1) (PDF). Melbourne: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia. pp. 181–183.
3. Clark, John (1943). A revision of the genus Promyrmecia Emery (Formicidae) (PDF). Victoria. p. 127. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-08.
4. Brown, William (1953). Revisionary notes on the ant genus Myrmecia of Australia (PDF). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. p. 15.
5. Mayr, G. (1876). "Die australischen Formiciden" (PDF). Journal des Museum Godeffroy. 95: 94.