Iridomyrmex purpureus

Meat Ant at Deakin, ACT

Iridomyrmex purpureus at Deakin, ACT - 23 Dec 2018 08:01 PM
Iridomyrmex purpureus at Deakin, ACT - 23 Dec 2018 08:01 PM
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Identification history

Iridomyrmex purpureus 25 Dec 2018 KimPullen
Iridomyrmex purpureus 24 Dec 2018 MichaelMulvaney
Unidentified 23 Dec 2018 JackyF

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User's notes

Following on from my inconclusive sighting of 16 December, here is a close-up photo of same ants in same sapling. They are tending small orange lerp-like growths and the ones on the left are tending small black and white objects like tiny insects. The ants look like meat ants. Hairstreak butterflies and pupae were sighted on this sapling last summer.

2 comments

KimPullen wrote:
   26 Dec 2018
The 'small black and white objects' appear to be psyllids and may be a species of Acizzia, many of which are known Acacia feeders.
JackyF wrote:
   26 Dec 2018
Thank you. Sorry I could not get a better photo.

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Location information

Sighting information

Additional information

  • Small black wattle sapling (Acacia mearnsii) Associated plant
  • 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
  • 623 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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