Amblyopone australis

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

Amblyopone australis, the southern Michelin ant, is a species of ant in the genus Amblyopone, native to Australia. The species was described by Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson in 1842.[1] 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. "Amblyopone australis | Ant factsheets | Landcare Research". www.landcareresearch.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2016-06-17. Retrieved 2016-05-29.

External links

• AntWiki: Ambylopone australis – Includes map of global distribution
• Lessons from Little Creatures. Article on New Zealand ants from NZ National Geographic. Beautifully illustrated.