Southern Michelin ant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern Michelin ant |
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| Worker | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Amblyoponinae
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| Genus: |
Amblyopone
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| Species: |
A. australis
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| Binomial name | |
| Amblyopone australis Erichson, 1842
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Amblyopone australis, also known as the southern Michelin ant, is a type of ant. It belongs to the genus Amblyopone and is originally from Australia. A scientist named Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson first described this ant in 1842.
Worker ants of this species can be different colors, from yellow to dark brown or even black. They are usually between 4.5 and 8 millimeters long. The queen ants are bigger than the workers.
This ant has also been accidentally brought to New Zealand. It has now spread widely across the North Island. The southern Michelin ant is the largest ant species that has made New Zealand its home.
What Are Southern Michelin Ants Like?
Southern Michelin ants live in groups called colonies. Their colonies are usually small, with tens or hundreds of ants. However, some colonies can grow quite large, with up to 2,000 ants! You can often find their homes hidden under logs or stones.
Adult ants search for food both above and below the ground. They hunt other small creatures like insects and spiders, which are called arthropods. When they find prey, they use their sting to paralyze it. The baby ants, called larvae, eat parts of the prey that the adult ants bring back to the nest.
