Amblyopone australis

Amblyopone australis
Amblyopone australis worker
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Amblyoponinae
Genus: Amblyopone
Species: A. australis
Binomial name
Amblyopone australis
Erichson, 1842

Amblyopone australis is a species of ant in the genus Amblyopone, native to Australia. The species was described by Erichson in 1842.[1] It has the common name of Southern Michelin ant. Workers can vary in colour from yellow to dark brown or black. They have a body length of 4.5–8mm; queens are larger.[2]

It has been accidentally introduced to New Zealand, where it has become widely established across the North Island. It is the largest ant species established in New Zealand.[2]

Biology

Amblyopone australis lives in relatively small colonies of tens to hundreds (up to 2000), typically under logs or stones. Adults forage above and below ground, preying upon other arthropods, paralysing them with their sting. Larvae are fed dismembered body parts of prey.[2]

References

  1. Erichson, W.F. (1842). "Beitrag zur Insecten-Fauna von Vandiemensland, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der geographischen Verbreitung der Insecten". Archiv für Naturgeschichte. 8: 83–287.
  2. 1 2 3 "Amblyopone australis | Ant factsheets | Landcare Research". www.landcareresearch.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2016-06-17. Retrieved 2016-05-29.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amblyopone australis.
Wikispecies has information related to: Amblyopone australis


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/11/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.