Iridomyrmex sp. (genus)
Ant at Snowy Plain, NSW
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| Iridomyrmex sp. (genus) | JonLewis | 17 Nov 2025 | |
| Unverified | ConBoekel | 16 Nov 2025 |
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User's notes
A noteworthy feature was these ants were building anthills that stood something like 5-10cm above ground level in swampy locations.
2 comments
17 Nov 2025
Thanks Con. Beautiful photos of the flower-covered nest. Could be one of several Iridomyrmex which construct raised areas of vegetable matter to catch the sun and make a warm place to raise brood. Below is a quote from Shattuck, S. O., & McMillan, P. (1998). Revision of the species of the Iridomyrmex conifer group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with notes on their biology. Australian Journal of Zoology, 46(3), 301–315. https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO98033.
"The conifer species-group of the ant genus Iridomyrmex .... The species I. conifer Forel, I. setoconus, sp. nov. and I. turbineus, sp. nov. are placed in the group, which is limited to south-western Australia. ... These ants show unusual nesting habits in that thatched mounds are used during the cooler winter months and subterranean nests are constructed during the hot summer months. This habit is not known to occur in any other ant."
Cheers, Jon
"The conifer species-group of the ant genus Iridomyrmex .... The species I. conifer Forel, I. setoconus, sp. nov. and I. turbineus, sp. nov. are placed in the group, which is limited to south-western Australia. ... These ants show unusual nesting habits in that thatched mounds are used during the cooler winter months and subterranean nests are constructed during the hot summer months. This habit is not known to occur in any other ant."
Cheers, Jon
17 Nov 2025
Thanks, Jon. There is always something surprising and intriguing in nature when we go out and about.
Location information
- Coordinates 148.473518-36.145050
- Altitude 1600.7m
- Places Snowy Plain, NSW
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 9 Nov 2025 10:22 AM Recorded on
- ConBoekel Recorded by
- 5mm to 12mm Animal size
Collections
- ConBoekel NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Iridomyrmex sp. (genus) Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Insects
Species information
- Iridomyrmex sp. (genus) Scientific name
- Ant Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1600.7m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Record quality
Quality score
6 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species