Iridomyrmex purpureus at Bonython, ACT

Meat Ant at Bonython, ACT

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Identification history

	Iridomyrmex purpureus	15 Feb 2021	JonLewis
	Iridomyrmex purpureus	14 Feb 2021	RodDeb

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User's notes

One carried a stick and put it off the path. Had to move the GPS spot as it was in the water, way off where they were.

4 comments

JonLewis wrote:

14 Feb 2021

Hi RodDeb, yes, the last three photos are Iridomyrmex purpureus, but the first two are Camponotus aeneopilosus (about the same size but black with golden fuzz on the gaster, which looks a orangy-coloured in the photos). Can you turn this into two seperate observations? Cheers, Jon

RodDeb wrote:

14 Feb 2021

Hi Jon,
thank you, have separated them. Apologies to the Ants for thinking they were the same, and thank you for knowing better :)

JonLewis wrote:

15 Feb 2021

No worries. And, by the way, the second photo here shows typical territorial display between two different meat ant colonies. The way the ants are standing up really high on their legs and holding themselves in a stiff posture is part of their ritualised fighting display where they assert ownership of a territory without having to actually fight each other. There is nice information on this at the following link. Cheers, Jon
https://antwiki.org/wiki/Ritualised_fighting_in_Iridomyrmex_purpureus

RodDeb wrote:

15 Feb 2021

Thanks Jon, appreciate the extra information, now we will know next time.

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