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Iridomyrmex purpureus

Meat Ant at Bonython, ACT

Iridomyrmex purpureus at Bonython, ACT - 14 Feb 2021
Iridomyrmex purpureus at Bonython, ACT - 14 Feb 2021
Iridomyrmex purpureus at Bonython, ACT - 14 Feb 2021
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Identification history

Iridomyrmex purpureus 15 Feb 2021 JonLewis
Iridomyrmex purpureus 14 Feb 2021 RodDeb

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User's notes

One carried a stick and put it off the path. Had to move the GPS spot as it was in the water, way off where they were.

4 comments

JonLewis wrote:
   14 Feb 2021
Hi RodDeb, yes, the last three photos are Iridomyrmex purpureus, but the first two are Camponotus aeneopilosus (about the same size but black with golden fuzz on the gaster, which looks a orangy-coloured in the photos). Can you turn this into two seperate observations? Cheers, Jon
RodDeb wrote:
   14 Feb 2021
Hi Jon,
thank you, have separated them. Apologies to the Ants for thinking they were the same, and thank you for knowing better :)
JonLewis wrote:
   15 Feb 2021
No worries. And, by the way, the second photo here shows typical territorial display between two different meat ant colonies. The way the ants are standing up really high on their legs and holding themselves in a stiff posture is part of their ritualised fighting display where they assert ownership of a territory without having to actually fight each other. There is nice information on this at the following link. Cheers, Jon
https://antwiki.org/wiki/Ritualised_fighting_in_Iridomyrmex_purpureus
RodDeb wrote:
   15 Feb 2021
Thanks Jon, appreciate the extra information, now we will know next time.

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Location information

Sighting information

Additional information

  • 5mm to 12mm Animal size

Species information

  • Iridomyrmex purpureus Scientific name
  • Meat Ant Common name
  • Not Sensitive
  • Local native
  • Non-invasive or negligible
  • Up to 963.87m Recorded at altitude
  • 582 images trained Machine learning
  • External link More information

Record quality

  • Images or audio
  • More than one media file
  • Verified by an expert moderator
  • Nearby sighting(s) of same species
  • GPS evidence of location
  • Description
  • Additional attributes
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