Papyrius nitidus

Shining Coconut Ant at Higgins, ACT

Papyrius nitidus at Higgins, ACT - 10 Sep 2020
Papyrius nitidus at Higgins, ACT - 10 Sep 2020
Papyrius nitidus at Higgins, ACT - 10 Sep 2020
Request use of media

Identification history

Papyrius nitidus 15 Sep 2020 JonLewis
Papyrius nitidus 15 Sep 2020 JonLewis
Unidentified 14 Sep 2020 AlisonMilton

Identify this sighting


Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.

5 comments

JonLewis wrote:
   15 Sep 2020
Hi Alison, this is an interesting observation as I think it's the first Coconut ant record from a suburban street. Cheers, Jon
AlisonMilton wrote:
   16 Sep 2020
Thanks Jon. My thoughts were coconut ant as I couldn't find any other match, but it was such an odd place as you say and there were no signs of cartons. I'll keep an eye on them as it's only 10 minutes walk from home.
JonLewis wrote:
   16 Sep 2020
You can always confirm the ID by squashing one and checking for the coconut smell next time you go past the tree. Cheers, Jon
AlisonMilton wrote:
   16 Sep 2020
Thanks Jon. I didn't consider coconut ants until I looked at the magnified photos on my computer at home. I went back today to confirm the smell test and they are definitely coconut ants. Also on the trunk of the adjacent eucalypt. Both trees are 5 metres or so in height. No low shrubs or fallen timber in the vicinity so still didn't find any cartons.
JonLewis wrote:
   16 Sep 2020
Very interesting Alison. They are pretty adaptable it seems!

Please Login or Register to comment.

Location information

Sighting information

  • 16 - 100 Abundance
  • 10 Sep 2020 10:55 AM Recorded on
  • AlisonMilton Recorded by

Additional information

  • 12mm to 25mm Animal size

Species information

Record quality

  • Images or audio
  • More than one media file
  • Confirmed by an expert moderator
  • Nearby sighting(s) of same species
  • GPS evidence of location
  • Description
  • Additional attributes
2,153,789 sightings of 19,949 species in 6,493 locations from 11,438 contributors
CCA 3.0 | privacy
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this land and acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.