Iridomyrmex purpureus

Meat Ant at Watson, ACT

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Identification history

Iridomyrmex purpureus	7 Nov 2023	JonLewis
Iridomyrmex purpureus	6 Nov 2023	CarbonAI
Iridomyrmex purpureus	6 Nov 2023	MAX

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User's notes

Drawing to Everyone's Attention please: My concern is that someone is deliberately (?) baiting these Ant pebble nests along Clancy's track, potentially with Insecticide bait ? I counted around 10 nests or so in this area, close to the walking track, with this white powdery stuff applied, which the ants seem to be feeding on.This is the second occasion that I have noticed this phenomenon at this location (previously several weeks/ to a month ago). I have not noticed any dead or affected (eg. "staggering") ants, but I believe that these baits are designed to be taken into their nests, spread around, slow acting and target the queen's ?? "This has happened in a number of areas before. I will look at getting some signs made up to provide information to the public about this practice." Ranger Urban Reserves North ACT Parks and Conservation Service

6 comments

JonLewis wrote:

7 Nov 2023

Thanks for puttinhg this sighting up Max. It's good to let people know that Meat Ants are really pretty harmless - unless you set up your picnic right on top of their nest! Cheers, Jon

waltraud wrote:

9 Nov 2023

Max I wonder whether you can prepare a info leaflet to inform about harmlessness of meat ants and their importance for a healthy environment? leaflet could be laminated and fixed to stake next to nest. Avery did something similar reg Blue Devils that someone ripped out and I reg Clematis leptophylla that someone was cutting and ripping out probably thinking they are weeds.

AlisonMilton wrote:

9 Nov 2023

Also depends on whether the ant nest is on a walking track or between the cracks of a footpath. I just took my dogs for a walk and there is a nest along Drake-Brockman Drive where the ants are swarming after the rain. Lots of winged ants emerging. Thankfully it is not on the track as I wouldn't want to walk through it.

waltraud wrote:

9 Nov 2023

Alison, the nest of meat ants is within the nature reserve; it is not on a walking track if Max coordinates are correct but beside a truck track. Anyhow, whether on truck track or walking track, ants are extremely important and protected. The ants often swarm after the first rain in Spring/Summer; the female workers might be out too, protecting the winged queens and princes when they stumble out of the nest (males in particular are clumsy). The rain is important not only because it triggers swarming of males and females of certain species of ants of different nests which will mate on wing but because it softens the soil so that the young mated queens can dig a new nest after shedding their wings.

AlisonMilton wrote:

9 Nov 2023

@waltraud Hi, My comment was not meant to be supporting poisoning. It was meant as a 'humourous' adjunct to the comment of setting up a picnic on top of an ant's nest. Sorry for the misunderstanding - and an observation of my swarming ants. Went back for some photos. :-)

MAX wrote:

10 Nov 2023

Good Morning Everyone, Thanks for all your interesting thoughts on this issue. Re posting a pamphlet at this location, I can consider this, especially if the issue persists here... However my main point / concern in posting these observations in CNM, is about Visitors/ Users of our Canberra Nature Park facilities need to be aware of and respect that ALL Endemic/ Native organisms are PROTECTED there, and people can NOT choose to treat these Nature Reserves as an "extension" of their Backyard properties to Control / Remove organisms that they don't like/ have issues with. I guess some general Education about the role and Great Importance of Ants in Ecosystems would always be helpful. Eg. without the presence of multiple Ant species in our Grassy Woodland Ecosystems, these Ecosystems would cease to Function and cause many undesirable "downstream" multiplier effects. 😬

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