This beautiful bull ant, Myrmecia tarsata, is one of several species of bull ant that can be found on the Armidale campus. Globally, there are 93 species of bull ants, which are primarily unique to Australia, with the exception of one species native to New Caledonia. Other common names for this group of ants include bulldog ants, inchman ants, jack jumper ants, jumping jacks, hopper ants and skipper ants. 

Generally, colony sizes of Myrmecia are small compared to other ants, typically consisting of tens to several hundreds of workers and occasionally exceeding 1000. These ants are often active during the day, and as the weather warms, they can be seen around campus hunting for food to bring back to their brood, which require protein for development.

Like other bull ants, this Myrmecia tarsata individual possesses large mandibles and prominent eyes, making her a formidable hunter of invertebrates. Bull ants play crucial roles in ecosystems as top predators in the invertebrate world. In addition to their large mandibles they have a strong sting they use to subdue prey, so it’s best to observe them from a distance and avoid disturbing their nests. Adult bull ants will also occasionally feed on nectar and honeydew, so you may see them on flowers and feeding on other plant extracts. Their large eyes provide them with excellent vision enabling foragers to navigate the micro-landscape using landmarks, with some individuals foraging distances of up to 15m from their nests!

Text provided by Dr Anna Probert.