February 2006
The Bulldog Ant
Order Family Genus and Species
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Myrmecia
Ants are one of the most efficient and social
insects in the world. They have different
ants within the colony which perform the various duties which are necessary
to make
up a smooth running existence.
The queens lay the eggs, the workers gather food
and feed the queen and the soldiers
defend the colony from outside invaders.
The bulldog ant (also called bull ant) species
is, however, not an ant species which follows
the norm. They are a rather disorganized
group of ants who are more or less out for themselves. They don't
unite into a cohesive
foraging unit, unlike other ants, nor
do they band together to defend the colony. If the
queen wants any food she has to find it herself. About the only
thing bull ants have in
common with their other ant brethren is that they do
tend to the larvae, (as seen in the
following graphic) making sure the ants-to-be are well fed and happy.
They instinctively
realize the importance of the larvae to the future of the colony.
Bull ants are among the largest of any any species...measuring
up to 1 1/2 inches in
length. They are a primitive species which use their
large and powerful mandibles
used to grab food and to fight off predators.
They also have a very vicious and
venomous sting which they use to kill
prey and to defend themselves. The sting from
a bulldog ant will raise a very nasty welt on animals and humans.
The genus Myrmecia contains over 85 different
species of bulldog ant. All ants in
this genus are similar in appearance but are classified differently
according to their
antenna length, with the Promyrmecia species
having the shorter antenna.
Most bulldog ants ( so named because of their tenacious grip and savage
bite) are
found in Australia, parts of Tasmania, and in
lesser numbers on the island of New
Caledonia. Notice the formidible
claw-like mandibles of the bulldog ant shown in
the following graphic. The jaws have tremendous
crushing power and can easily
subdue insect prey.
Bulldog ant colonies are founded by a single queen
which
has mated with a male
from her original colony. She carries the unfertilized
eggs and sperm with her to
a new site which she feels is environmentally suitable for a colony.
She then lays
numerous eggs in out-of-the-way places. She tends the nest until
the eggs hatch.
The queen will tend to the larvae until they grow into small ants which
are female
workers. After the colony is fully
populated with female ants, the queen then lays
eggs which will be all males. These males will then mate with
the females and go
off the start new colonies. Bulldog ant queens are one
of a handful of insects which
can determine whether eggs will be male or female.
The bulldog and shown above is feeding on plant leaves and stems from
the various plants
that are abundantly found along the coasts of Australia. In
addition to plant material, the
bulldog ant eats small insects and the nectar
from numerous plants and flowers.
Bulldog ants weigh around 1/2 ounce...fully grown
and grow to around 1 to 1 1/2 inches
in length. They reach sexual maturity
almost immediately after becoming ants ( around 90
to 100 days after hatching.) The
mating season is not confined to any certain month and
the incubation period is around 18 to 20
days. The queen is capable of laying thousands
of eggs before her death. The maximum lifespan
of the bulldog ant is around 3 to 3 1/2
years.
Bulldog ants are not currently on the endangered
species list although their nesting area
has been disturbed and lessened by ever encroaching settlements and
developement of
large areas for the purpose of agricultural endeavors. In spite
of these problems, most
scientists agree the bulldog ant population is
stable.
Below, shown in blue squares, are the areas of Australia which are inhabited
by bulldog
ants.
Check back next month for March's "Creature of the Month" The Lammergeier.