Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

Bull Ant (Jack Jumper?)

Myrmecia sp (pilosula?)

Description:

large black ant with reddish legs hauling a dead insect that might be a damselfly type? Actually a crane fly! Thanks, Scott.

Habitat:

On a sign in the town of Derby, Tasmania.

Notes:

I am not sure exactly what happened at the beginning which is shown in photo 2 where a small ant is holding onto the tail of the insect being carried and then in photo 3 that ant leaves the prey and goes away. Was he helping at first or was he trying to get the prey for himself?

Species ID Suggestions



Sign in to suggest organism ID

8 Comments

Scott Frazier
Scott Frazier 9 years ago

You're welcome Kathleen :-)

Thanks Scott and stho002! I will be happy with Myrmecia sp even though it sure looks like the Jack Jumper, Myrmecia pilosula! I don't know what details to look for other than those clearly visible and a photo of the head was impossible with is carrying that crane fly. It was a great way to keep myself occupied while my husband was in the museum!

Thanks Hema!

Scott Frazier
Scott Frazier 9 years ago

I don't know...all black body, orange lower legs, antennae and mouthparts...at least the coloration of a jack jumper (Myrmecia pilosula) but I can't really tell about the head shape. Anyway it's just a possibility. They do occur in Tasmania.

Scott Frazier
Scott Frazier 9 years ago

With a crane fly...

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 9 years ago

what an appropriate name! As strong a s a bull.

stho002
stho002 9 years ago

Bull ant (Myrmecia sp.)

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 9 years ago

great series! The ant seems pretty strong!

KathleenMcEachern
Spotted by
KathleenMcEachern

Spotted on Jan 16, 2014
Submitted on May 31, 2014

Related Spottings

Bull Ant Inchman (Bulldog-ant) Bull Ant Bull ant

Nearby Spottings

White-winged Araneus Spider Marasmius elegans Amanita Coprinellus

Reference

Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team