Myrmecia maxima facts for kids

Myrmecia maxima is a type of ant that scientists can't fully identify. It lives only in Australia. This ant belongs to a group called Myrmecia, which are known for being large and having powerful stings.

The ant was first described by George Fletcher Moore in 1842. However, there is no actual ant specimen (a "type specimen") from his discovery. This makes it very hard to know exactly what M. maxima looks like today. Moore's description only says it was a large Myrmecia ant with long, sharp jaws and a strong sting. Even though it's hard to identify, it's still considered a real species. This ant lives in the southwest parts of Western Australia.

What is Myrmecia maxima?

Myrmecia maxima is an ant that scientists are still trying to understand. It's unique because there's no physical example of the ant that was first described. Imagine trying to identify a specific type of dog just from an old drawing! This makes it a bit of a mystery.

However, we know it's a large ant. The original description said it was about 3.8 centimeters (about 1.5 inches) long. That's pretty big for an ant! It also had very long, sharp jaws called mandibles and a sting that caused a lot of pain. These features are common in many Myrmecia ants, which are also known as "bull ants" or "jack jumper ants."

Where Does This Ant Live?

Like almost all Myrmecia ants, M. maxima is found only in Australia. Specifically, it lives in the southwest area of Western Australia. This region is home to other similar Myrmecia species. Some of these include Myrmecia nigriceps, Myrmecia regularis, and Myrmecia vindex. Because M. maxima was described so long ago, it's possible it might actually be the same as one of these other ants. Scientists are still working to figure this out.

How Myrmecia maxima Got Its Name

The story of Myrmecia maxima's name goes back to George Fletcher Moore. He was interested in the language of the Aboriginal people in Western Australia. In 1842, Moore published a dictionary of their language. In this book, he included the first official description of M. maxima. The local Nyungar people called this ant kallili or killal. Moore himself called it a "lion-ant" because of its fierce nature.

When Moore first described it, he placed it in a different ant group called Formica. Later, in 1973, ant experts William Ride and Robert W. Taylor reclassified it. They realized it was definitely a large Myrmecia species. So, they moved it to the Myrmecia group, and it became known as M. maxima.

Today, M. maxima is part of the Myrmeciinae subfamily. This subfamily is part of the larger ant family called Formicidae, which belongs to the insect order Hymenoptera. Even without a specific ant specimen to study, M. maxima is still recognized as a valid species.

Why the Name Was Changed

For a while, the name Formica maxima was only found in Moore's dictionary and a couple of other books. Because Moore's description clearly pointed to an unknown Myrmecia ant, scientists suggested that the original name, Formica maxima, should no longer be used. This was done to avoid confusion with other ant names. In 1976, a group of experts called the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) officially agreed to stop using the old name.

If scientists ever find a way to identify M. maxima for sure, it might turn out to be the same as M. nigriceps, M. regularis, or M. vindex. This is because M. maxima was described much earlier than these other species. If it's the same, its older name would take priority.