A Coconut Ant at Weetangera, ACT
Identification history
| Papyrius sp. (genus) | 25 Oct 2021 | JonLewis | ||
| Melophorus perthensis | 11 Jan 2021 | AlisonMilton |
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User's notes
Trailing across the pathway ahead of the coming storm.
4 comments
JonLewis
wrote:
11 Jan 2021
Hi Alison, these ants look a lot like Papyrius rather than Melophorus based on the general body shape & size, and the concave shape of the back of the head (the back of the head is rounded in Melophorus minors). Is this a possibility? Cheers, Jon
AlisonMilton
wrote:
11 Jan 2021
I thought this too but they seemed to be nesting in the ground travelling from one nest to the other on the dirt path. A huge storm was brewing with menacing black clouds. I could find the spot again and collect some samples if you like.
JonLewis
wrote:
11 Jan 2021
Papyrius will certainly nest in the ground and often seem to have what looks like networks of nests with trails between them, so your observation seems ok for Papyrius. If you get the chance, the squish test will confirm it for us.
AlisonMilton
wrote:
11 Jan 2021
Thanks Jon. Will try to get back there this week. I intended to reach the Weetangera paddock anyway but got thwarted by the storm. During the recent survey conducted by Michael we did find them nesting among rocks at The Pinnacle but this is not near any known sites. If they don't pass the smell test I can still collect some samples.
Location information
- Maps The Pinnacle
- Places Weetangera, ACT
Sighting information
- 16 - 100 Abundance
- 6 Jan 2021 02:13 PM Recorded on
- AlisonMilton Recorded by
-
Collections
Insects Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) AlisonMilton Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr
Additional information
- 5mm to 12mm Animal size
Species information
- Papyrius sp. (genus) Scientific name
- A Coconut Ant Common name
- Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- 366 images trained Machine learning
- External link More information
-
Synonyms
Papyrius sp.
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
