Bulldog Ant

Mymecia Spp.

Appearance

• 18-20 mm
• Tends to be red or black

Lifecycle

• When a Queens starts to nest she digs a small chamber to lay her eggs in. There is one Queen ant that lays all the eggs and one or only a few males that are just there to mate with the Queen
• The ant’s life cycle passes through egg, larva, pupa and adult phases
• Almost every ant is born female. The eggs hatch into small grubs, which grow into a particular caste (most are workers, then soldiers)
• The Queen Bull Ant leaves the nest at night to forage and supplement the food supply for her progeny (baby bull ants)
• The Queen may live for several years

Habits

• Very aggressive (if a nest is disturbed, there will be a massive outpouring attack)
• Typically nest outdoors in soil or under logs or rocks and they build quite an extensive tunnel system
• Located mostly in bushy areas (they seldom enter buildings)
• They can inflict a very painful sting to humans
• The stinger does not remain in the victim, so the Bull Ant can sting repeatedly
• They feed on other insects and things such as honeydew from scale insects or plant nectar
• Each ant belongs to a specific caste and has a specific job to do (there are worker ants, soldier ants, the Queen and the Male – who mates with the Queen)