Green-head ant
Encyclopedia
The green-head ant, Rhytidoponera metallica, often simply referred to as the green ant, or sometimes the green-headed ant or the metallic pony ant, is a metallic-green coloured ant, generally 5–7 mm (0.196850393700787–0.275590551181102 ) in length, that can be found throughout Australia
, particularly in urban and suburban areas. It is often confused - verbally, not visually - with the weaver ant
of northern Queensland
, Australia as it is also referred to as the green ant.
s underground beneath most types of grasses and often go unnoticed until someone, or sometimes some animal, is bitten. The actual ant's bite itself is often unnoticeable, however the venom that the ant injects via a sting, in its abdomen, initiates a sharp burning sensation beginning seconds after the sting and lasting up until any time from five minutes to as long as two hours or sometimes more. The venom
is generally harmless but if a large number of bites are received at once the overwhelming amount of venom injected into the body can sometimes render a small child sick for a few hours or so, usually nothing to worry about except persevering through the crying.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, particularly in urban and suburban areas. It is often confused - verbally, not visually - with the weaver ant
Weaver ant
Weaver ants or Green ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae . Weaver ants are obligately arboreal and are known for their unique nest building behaviour where workers construct nests by weaving together leaves using larval silk...
of northern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia as it is also referred to as the green ant.
Human Interaction
The green-head ant is an infamous nuisance for suburban and urban dwellers in Australia. The ants generally build their nestNest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
s underground beneath most types of grasses and often go unnoticed until someone, or sometimes some animal, is bitten. The actual ant's bite itself is often unnoticeable, however the venom that the ant injects via a sting, in its abdomen, initiates a sharp burning sensation beginning seconds after the sting and lasting up until any time from five minutes to as long as two hours or sometimes more. The venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
is generally harmless but if a large number of bites are received at once the overwhelming amount of venom injected into the body can sometimes render a small child sick for a few hours or so, usually nothing to worry about except persevering through the crying.