Myrmecia esuriens
Encyclopedia
Myrmecia esuriens, also known as Tasmanian Inchman, is a species of bulldog ant that is native to Tasmania
.
, approximately 22 to 24 mm (0.866141732283465 to 0.94488188976378 in) long. Males ("drones") grow to 16 mm (0.62992125984252 in), and the worker ants average 14 to 18 mm (0.551181102362205 to 0.708661417322835 in) long. Within its genus, M. esuriens is a medium-sized species, as sizes for Myrmecia
range from 6 mm (0.236220472440945 in) to more than 30 mm (1 in).
The main body of the ant is black with a single segment of the abdomen, the postpetiole, coloured an orange-red. The mandibles
, antennae, and legs of the ants are also orange-red. The hair on the ant is yellow, and is short on the head, thorax, and legs and longer on the gaster
. No hair is present on the scape
s.
The mandibles are long and straight, and of the eleven teeth present, the third, fifth, seventh, and ninth are wider and longer than the other seven. The Tasmanian Inchman has good eyesight, useful outside of the nest for defence and foraging.
Unusually for ants, the queens are noted for not having wings, and instead an ergatoid (worker-like) form. This corresponds with the consideration of the Myrmecia genus as primitive, with several features, such as the presence of ocelli and a well-defined mesonotum, suggestive of earlier evolutionary development.
Myrmecia esuriens is closely related to M. pilosula, the venomous jack jumper ant
, the sting of which is known to be deadly to humans sensitive or allergic to the venom. Although M. esuriens also inflicts stings, there is no written information on its venom being harmful to humans. This may be due to relative sting strength and composition or possibly due to M. esuriens not being as prevalent or widespread, contributing to a lack of evidence. The sting is painful, however, though anecdotal evidence suggests that the pain is short-lived.
In January 1777, Captain Cook's ships HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery
landed at Adventure Bay
, Tasmania. On 30 January, William Anderson
, a surgeon and naturalist aboard HMS Resolution, wrote of two "troublesome" insects of Tasmania, one being the mosquitoes and the other "a large black Ant whose bite is almost intolerable for the short time it lasts". The ants stinging Anderson were almost certainly Myrmecia esuriens.
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
Morphology
The largest size of this bull ant species is reached by the queenQueen ant
A queen ant is an adult, reproducing female ant in an ant colony; generally she will be the mother of all the other ants in that colony. Some female ants do not need to mate to produce offspring, reproducing through asexual parthenogenesis or cloning and all of those offspring will be female.Ant...
, approximately 22 to 24 mm (0.866141732283465 to 0.94488188976378 in) long. Males ("drones") grow to 16 mm (0.62992125984252 in), and the worker ants average 14 to 18 mm (0.551181102362205 to 0.708661417322835 in) long. Within its genus, M. esuriens is a medium-sized species, as sizes for Myrmecia
Myrmecia
Myrmecia, often called bulldog ants, bull ants, inch ants, sergeant ants, jumper ants or jack-jumpers , is a genus of ants. Bull ants can grow to over in length, with the smallest species long...
range from 6 mm (0.236220472440945 in) to more than 30 mm (1 in).
The main body of the ant is black with a single segment of the abdomen, the postpetiole, coloured an orange-red. The mandibles
Mandible (arthropod)
thumb|250px|The mandibles of a [[Bull ant]]The mandible of an arthropod is either of a pair of mouthparts used for biting, cutting and holding food. Mandibles are often simply referred to as jaws. Mandibles are present in the extant subphyla Myriapoda , Crustacea and Hexapoda...
, antennae, and legs of the ants are also orange-red. The hair on the ant is yellow, and is short on the head, thorax, and legs and longer on the gaster
Gaster
The gaster is the bulbous posterior portion of the metasoma found in Apocrita Hymenoptera . This begins with abdominal segment III on most ants, but some make a postpetiole out of segment III, in which case the gaster begins with abdominal segment IV....
. No hair is present on the scape
Scape
In biology, the term scape may refer to:* The first segment of an insect antenna* A finger-like appendage of the epigyne of a female spider* Scape , a flowering stemScape may also refer to:...
s.
The mandibles are long and straight, and of the eleven teeth present, the third, fifth, seventh, and ninth are wider and longer than the other seven. The Tasmanian Inchman has good eyesight, useful outside of the nest for defence and foraging.
Unusually for ants, the queens are noted for not having wings, and instead an ergatoid (worker-like) form. This corresponds with the consideration of the Myrmecia genus as primitive, with several features, such as the presence of ocelli and a well-defined mesonotum, suggestive of earlier evolutionary development.
Habitat
Endemic to Tasmania, the Tasmanian Inchman inhabits forest, rocky land, and undergrowth, and can often be found under fallen trees. They nest in soil, making mounds that are sometimes partially covered by pebbles or vegetation.Behaviour and other characteristics
The worker ants of the species forage for food in low vegetation and on the ground. Although they themselves are not carnivorous and prefer to feed on nectar and other sweet substances, they do scavenge and hunt prey, which they feed to the ant larvae. Bulldog ants are known for being aggressive and defensive of nests, and use their mandibles and sting to fight off attackers.Myrmecia esuriens is closely related to M. pilosula, the venomous jack jumper ant
Jack jumper ant
The jack jumper ant, hopper ant, jumper ant or jumping jack, Myrmecia pilosula, is a species of bull ant that is native to Australia...
, the sting of which is known to be deadly to humans sensitive or allergic to the venom. Although M. esuriens also inflicts stings, there is no written information on its venom being harmful to humans. This may be due to relative sting strength and composition or possibly due to M. esuriens not being as prevalent or widespread, contributing to a lack of evidence. The sting is painful, however, though anecdotal evidence suggests that the pain is short-lived.
In January 1777, Captain Cook's ships HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery
HMS Discovery (1774)
HMS Discovery was the consort ship of James Cook's third expedition to the Pacific Ocean in 1776 - 1780. Like Cook's other ships, Discovery was a Whitby-built collier of 298 tons, originally named Diligence when she was built in 1774. Originally a brig, Cook had her changed to a full rigged ship...
landed at Adventure Bay
Adventure Bay
Adventure Bay is a bay on Bruny Island in southeastern Tasmania. Discovered in 1773 by Tobias Furneaux, it was named after his ship, HMS Adventure. James Cook explored the region in 1777, as did William Bligh in 1788 and 1792....
, Tasmania. On 30 January, William Anderson
William Anderson (naturalist)
William Anderson was a Scottish naturalist, one of seven children of schoolmaster Robert Anderson and Jean...
, a surgeon and naturalist aboard HMS Resolution, wrote of two "troublesome" insects of Tasmania, one being the mosquitoes and the other "a large black Ant whose bite is almost intolerable for the short time it lasts". The ants stinging Anderson were almost certainly Myrmecia esuriens.