Iridomyrmex sp. (genus)

2 Ant at Cook, ACT

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Identification history

	Iridomyrmex sp. (genus)	17 Dec 2021	JonLewis
	Unidentified	16 Dec 2021	CathB

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User's notes

Carrying pollinia of Microtis parviflora

3 comments

JonLewis wrote:

17 Dec 2021

Hi Cath, this looks to be an Iridomyrmex, but I can't be sure which - possibly Iridomyrmex niger. The published research by Peakalll & Beattie in 1989 (link to the paper below) suggests that the main ant pollinating this orchid is Iridomyrmex gracilis (now called I. bicknelli) but the ant in your photos doesn't look quite right. Great to see the photo with the pollen granule attached! Cheers, Jon
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2389565.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Af44015e79b949370da7e08425c9a4e4c

CathB wrote:

20 Dec 2021

Thanks for the reference, Jon. I have also seen Crematogaster with pollen on the same species of orchid (sighting 4354296). Ants are frequent visitors to Microtis flowers, and are thought to be attracted by nectar. It's possible that a number of different species could pick up pollinia as they feed and then carry them to other flowers.

JonLewis wrote:

23 Dec 2021

Thanks Cath - that's very interesting. I suppose the ant just has to be about the right size and have the right shaped head!

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Location information

Sighting information

1 - 3 Abundance
9 Dec 2021 03:42 PM Recorded on
CathB Recorded by
Collections
Insects Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) CathB

Additional information

Microtis parviflora Associated plant
Less than 5mm Animal size

Species information

Iridomyrmex sp. (genus) Scientific name
Ant Common name
Not Sensitive
Local native
Non-invasive or negligible
Up to 817.2m Recorded at altitude
319 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