Myrmecia 1057147 222768388 2008-07-01T00:44:40Z Watchsmart 883191 /* External links */ updated link {{Taxobox | name = ''Myrmecia'' | image = Bullant apr07.jpg | image_width = 250px | image_caption = Bull Ant | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Arthropod]]a | subphylum = [[Hexapoda]] | classis = [[Insect]]a | ordo = [[Hymenoptera]] | subordo = [[Apocrita]] | superfamilia = [[Vespoidea]] | familia = [[Ant|Formicidae]] | subfamilia = [[Myrmeciinae]] | genus = '''''Myrmecia''''' | genus_authority = Fabricius, 1804 | diversity_link = Myrmecia | diversity = c. 90 species | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = ''[[Myrmecia forficata]]''<br> ''[[Myrmecia gulosa]]''<br> ''[[Myrmecia inquilina]]''<br> ''[[Jack jumper ant|Myrmecia pilosula]]''<br> &nbsp;many more, see text }} '''''Myrmecia''''', often called '''bulldog ants''', '''bull ants''', or [[Jack jumper ant|jack-jumpers]] (although jack jumper really only describes ''M. pilosula'', and not all species), is a genus of [[ant]]s. Bull ants can grow to over 40 mm in length, with the smallest species 15 mm long. Almost all of the approximately 90 species are [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] to [[Australia]], with the single exception of ''[[Myrmecia apicalis]]'' from [[New Caledonia]], where it is rare.<ref name=aussants>Australian Ants Online</ref> These ants are well-known in Australia for their aggressive behavior and powerful stings. The venom of these ants has the potential to induce [[anaphylactic shock]] in allergic sting victims. As with most severe allergic reactions, if left untreated the reaction may be lethal. These large, alert ants have characteristic large eyes and long, slender mandibles. They have superior vision, able to track and even follow intruders from a distance of 1 meter. ==Diet== [[Image:Bullant head detail.jpg|Detail of head and mandibles|thumb|left|300px]] Bull ants eat small insects, [[Honeydew (secretion)|honeydew]] (a sweet, sticky liquid found on leaves, deposited from various insects), seeds, fruit, [[fungi]], gums, and [[nectar]]. The adult ants mainly eat nectar and honeydew, but the ant larvae are [[carnivore]]s that eat small insects brought back to them by hunting worker ants. The workers can also regurgitate food back in the nest so other ants can eat it. {{clear}} ==Species== [[Image:Bulldogant fg1.JPG|''M. brevinoda''|thumb|right|250px]] [[Image:Red bull ant.jpg|''M. gulosa''|thumb|right|250px]] {| | * ''[[Myrmecia aberrans]]'' <small>Forel, 1900</small> * ''[[Myrmecia acuta]]'' <small>Ogata & Taylor, 1991</small> * ''[[Myrmecia analis]]'' <small>Mayr, 1862</small> * ''[[Myrmecia apicalis]]'' <small>Emery, 1883</small> * ''[[Myrmecia arnoldi]]'' <small>Clark, 1951</small> * ''[[Myrmecia athertonensis]]'' <small>Forel, 1915</small> * ''[[Myrmecia auriventris]]'' <small>Mayr, 1870</small> * ''[[Myrmecia borealis]]'' <small>Ogata & Taylor, 1991</small> * ''[[Myrmecia brevinoda]]'' <small>Forel, 1910</small> * ''[[Myrmecia browningi]]'' <small>Ogata & Taylor, 1991</small> * ''[[Myrmecia callima]]'' <small>(Clark, 1943)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia cephalotes]]'' <small>(Clark, 1943)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia chasei]]'' <small>Forel, 1894</small> * ''[[Myrmecia chrysogaster]]'' <small>(Clark, 1943)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia clarki]]'' <small>Crawley, 1922</small> * ''[[Myrmecia comata]]'' <small>Clark, 1951</small> * ''[[Myrmecia croslandi]]'' <small>Taylor, 1991</small> * ''[[Myrmecia cydista]]'' <small>(Clark, 1943)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia desertorum]]'' <small>Wheeler, 1915</small> * ''[[Myrmecia dichospila]]'' <small>Clark, 1938</small> * ''[[Myrmecia dimidiata]]'' <small>Clark, 1951</small> * ''[[Myrmecia dispar]]'' <small>(Clark, 1951)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia elegans]]'' <small>(Clark, 1943)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia erecta]]'' <small>Ogata & Taylor, 1991</small> * ''[[Myrmecia esuriens]]'' <small>Fabricius, 1804</small> * ''[[Myrmecia eungellensis]]'' <small>Ogata & Taylor, 1991</small> * ''[[Myrmecia exigua]]'' <small>(Clark, 1943)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia fabricii]]'' <small>Ogata & Taylor, 1991</small> * ''[[Myrmecia ferruginea]]'' <small>Mayr, 1876</small> * ''[[Myrmecia flammicollis]]'' <small>Brown, 1953</small> * ''[[Myrmecia flavicoma]]'' <small>Roger, 1861</small> * ''[[Myrmecia forceps]]'' <small>Roger, 1861</small> * ''[[Myrmecia forficata]]'' <small>(Fabricius, 1787)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia formosa]]'' <small>Wheeler, 1933</small> * ''[[Myrmecia froggatti]]'' <small>Forel, 1910</small> * ''[[Myrmecia fucosa]]'' <small>Clark, 1934</small> * ''[[Myrmecia fulgida]]'' <small>Clark, 1951</small> * ''[[Myrmecia fulviculis]]'' <small>Forel, 1913</small> * ''[[Myrmecia fulvipes]]'' <small>Roger, 1861</small> * ''[[Myrmecia fuscipes]]'' <small>Clark, 1951</small> * ''[[Myrmecia gilberti]]'' <small>Forel, 1910</small> * ''[[Myrmecia gratiosa]]'' <small>Clark, 1951</small> * ''[[Myrmecia gulosa]]'' <small>(Fabricius, 1775)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia harderi]]'' <small>Forel, 1910</small> * ''[[Myrmecia hilli]]'' <small>(Clark, 1943)</small> | * ''[[Myrmecia hirsuta]]'' <small>Clark, 1951</small> * ''[[Myrmecia infima]]'' <small>Forel, 1900</small> * ''[[Myrmecia inquilina]]'' <small>Douglas & Brown, 1959</small> * ''[[Myrmecia loweryi]]'' <small>Ogata & Taylor, 1991</small> * ''[[Myrmecia ludlowi]]'' <small>Crawley, 1922</small> * ''[[Myrmecia luteiforceps]]'' <small>Wheeler, 1933</small> * ''[[Myrmecia mandibularis]]'' <small>Smith, 1858</small> * ''[[Myrmecia maura]]'' <small>Wheeler, 1933</small> * ''[[Myrmecia maxima]]'' <small>Moore, 1842</small> * ''[[Myrmecia michaelseni]]'' <small>Forel, 1907</small> * ''[[Myrmecia midas]]'' <small>Clark, 1951</small> * ''[[Myrmecia minuscula]]'' <small>Forel, 1915</small> * ''[[Myrmecia mjobergi]]'' <small>Forel, 1915</small> * ''[[Myrmecia nigra]]'' <small>Forel, 1907</small> * ''[[Myrmecia nigriceps]]'' <small>Mayr, 1862</small> * ''[[Myrmecia nigriscapa]]'' <small>Roger, 1861</small> * ''[[Myrmecia nigrocincta]]'' <small>Smith, 1858</small> * ''[[Myrmecia nobilis]]'' <small>(Clark, 1943)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia occidentalis]]'' <small>(Clark, 1943)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia pavida]]'' <small>Clark, 1951</small> * ''[[Myrmecia petiolata]]'' <small>Emery, 1895</small> * ''[[Myrmecia picta]]'' <small>Smith, 1858</small> * ''[[Myrmecia picticeps]]'' <small>Clark, 1951</small> * ''[[Myrmecia piliventris]]'' <small>Smith, 1858</small> * ''[[Myrmecia pilosula]]'' <small>Smith, 1858</small> * ''[[Myrmecia potteri]]'' <small>(Clark, 1951)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia pulchra]]'' <small>Clark, 1929</small> * ''[[Myrmecia pyriformis]]'' <small>Smith, 1858</small> * ''[[Myrmecia queenslandica]]'' <small>Forel, 1915</small> * ''[[Myrmecia regularis]]'' <small>Crawley, 1925</small> * ''[[Myrmecia rowlandi]]'' <small>Forel, 1910</small> * ''[[Myrmecia rubicunda]]'' <small>(Clark, 1943)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia rubripes]]'' <small>Clark, 1951</small> * ''[[Myrmecia rufinodis]]'' <small>Smith, 1858</small> * ''[[Myrmecia rugosa]]'' <small>Wheeler, 1933</small> * ''[[Myrmecia simillima]]'' <small>Smith, 1858</small> * ''[[Myrmecia subfasciata]]'' <small>Viehmeyer, 1924</small> * ''[[Myrmecia swalei]]'' <small>Crawley, 1922</small> * ''[[Myrmecia tarsata]]'' <small>Smith, 1858</small> * ''[[Myrmecia tepperi]]'' <small>Emery, 1898</small> * ''[[Myrmecia testaceipes]]'' <small>(Clark, 1943)</small> * ''[[Myrmecia tridentata]]'' <small>Ogata & Taylor, 1991</small> * ''[[Myrmecia urens]]'' <small>Lowne, 1865</small> * ''[[Myrmecia varians]]'' <small>Mayr, 1876</small> * ''[[Myrmecia vindex]]'' <small>Smith, 1858</small> |} ==References== <references /> *[http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/24/1042911550264.html Bugs take the squeeze to breathe easy] *[http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/ants.htm Ants] *[http://www.gould.edu.au/wildlifecams/info_page.asp?id=red_bullant Red Bull ant] *[http://antbase.org/ants/publications/ocr_xml/21007.htm] * ITIS: [http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=574014 Genus ''Myrmecia''] * Australian Ants Online: [http://www.ento.csiro.au/science/ants/myrmeciinae/myrmecia/myrmecia.htm Genus ''Myrmecia''] ==External links== {{commons|Myrmecia}} *[http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_ants/Myrmeciinae.htm Brisbane Ants page on Myrmeciinae w/pictures, info] *[http://www.ento.csiro.au/science/ants/myrmeciinae/myrmeciinae.htm Australian Ants Online: Myrmeciinae] *[http://www.myrmecos.net/ants/myrmecia.html Myrmecos.net: Photo Gallery of ''Myrmecia'' bulldog ants] *[http://www.faunanet.gov.au/wos/factfile.cfm?Fact_ID=251 Australian Museum Online: Bull ants Fact File] [[Category:Ants]] [[es:Myrmecia]] [[hu:Vörös buldoghangyák]] [[nl:Buldogmier]] [[sv:Bulldogmyror]]