A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Myrmecia nigrocincta
About 2cm long, black & orange, large long mandibles, large dark eyes, elongated thin body with a sting in the tail. Feeds on a variety of insects, plant material, caterpillars, often foraging in tress or shrubs, on the ground where it exists in an underground burrow with its community. Known as jumper ants because they have the ability to jump, they can leap from whatever they are on and either attack an intruder or disappear in the leaf litter, they also jump rapidly along the ground to avoid being trampled, often they stand their ground with mandibles & two front legs raised ready to grab hold & strike a sting with the abdomen.
Found in many habitats throughout eastern Australian, many other species of bull ants & jumper ants exist all around Australia. this one in dry Eucalypt woodland in north east NSW.
Alright I'll take your photo but only if you promise not to sting me! Seems to happen whenever I stop to take a photo of something else, a bull ant of some description appears in front of me in an aggressive pose. The sting is incredibly painful. I've been stung many times by this species & at least 2 of the other bull ant species & it's a very unpleasant experience. When bushwalking in a group I hate being second but third or further back is even worse - the first in line gets the spider web treatment but alerts the bull ants on the track, second in line gets the aggressive bull ants ready to strike, third usually feels the worst a bull ant can give!
Spotted on Mar 27, 2014
Submitted on Mar 27, 2014
6 Comments
Thanks Maria dB. I think fire ants could be worse due to the large number that would swarm out. The bull ants might be slightly easier to dislodge due to their large size, but some people do also develop an allergic reaction when stung once or develop an intolerance when stung many times over years & then suffer bad reactions. You can just see the tip of the abdomen of this ant at the bottom of the leaf - the dangerous end!
Very nice shot and really interesting information. Fire ants here have nasty bites; it sounds like these ants can give them some competition.
OOPS! I've given away the secret now! There will be a fight for first in any groups that read this & go bushwalking now. On a bad day I don't know what's worse - a spider in the face or a bull ant bite on the leg. I've been known to suddenly run past first in line when the 'fear of bull ant bite' gets me. And it's not just one shot with the sting is it - they go for as many as they can! But I suppose nature has provide some protectors against humans.
Ha!! Great tips for group walking. :-) At least the bull-ant sting seems to wear of after 45 minutes or so. Those jumping jack ants hurt for days sometimes. Nice shot of a grumpy little face over a leaf.
Thanks Gilma Jeannette Ospino Ferreira-Norman for your comments. I can tolerate most things in the bush but bull ants really make me nervous, probably because they are just so aggressive & will attack without you even knowing they are there, they seem to have no fear! The bigger their opposition the fiercer they become.
Your "Notes" are very interesting...I do not think I would like to be third!! : o