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Calomyrmex sp
Can anyone ID these ants? About 10-12mm body length, black with a golden abdomen. I saw them foraging usually in small groups of 5 or 6; they wouldn't hesitate standing their ground, assuming a defensive pose with their abdomen raised (picture #4), and, as I involuntarily found out, they do sting, although the pain eases off after about 30 minutes. They were quite numerous in this area around the Kennedy Range.
Arid region around Kennedy Range in Western Australia.
Spotted on Oct 11, 2011
Submitted on Oct 1, 2016
3 Comments
Thank you for the nice comment, armadeus.
Thanks for the effort Sukanya, but I don't think it's a match. I've seen a bunch of these spiny ants, some of which do show golden colouration. However, this specimen lacks the spines and behaves much more aggressively when approached.
Do these match?
http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_...
http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Find+out+about/...
Fantastic images Felix! I love them! I have no idea what types of ants they are - I've only ever come up with is a Spiny Ant but in the images I've seen they don't have a gold abdomen...sorry I can't be more help. Thank you for sharing! :)