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Golden-tailed spiny ants swarming?

Dolichoderus sp.

Photo by MartinL
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

It's all hands on deck! Why are these golden-tailed spiny ants all milling around their entrance? Another nest nearby showed the same behavior.

Habitat:

A bushland reserve of native schlerophyll forest. Antonio Reserve Melbourne.

Notes:

http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_ants/golden_ant.htm
often farming lerps and other hemipterans or lepidopterans for 'honeydew'
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/21378180
http://www.livescience.com/11288-ants-world.html

Reference Links:

Golden-tailed Spiny Ant - Polyrhachis (Hagiomyrma) sp., Polyrhachis ammon

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (18)
MartinL
These have been identified as ( Dolichoderus sp.) I will change the details Thank you Ken Walker and Dr Rudy Kohout http://www.bowerbird.org.au/observations/5700
MartinL
Thank you LarryG and dotun55
dotun55
This ants are undeniably special ;)
MartinL
Thanks Yoko. Thanks Yasser. Thanks Gilma.
Yasser
Love the close-ups Martin. It looks like they've dipped their abdomens in gold.
MartinL
I've seen these attending lerps http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/21378180 They are likely to be Polyrhachis ammon http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Golden-tailed-Spiny-Ant/Polyrhachis/ammon.html
MartinL
Thanks for your comments Sergio, Aaron, namitha, Mark and Lauren.
MartinL
That may explain it Sergio, it is early spring and the timing is right. I hadn't noticed this behavior before. There has been good rainfall and it did rain last night. I've also noticed termites with "queens -in -waiting" in this same park. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/37709024
Sergio Monteiro
Martin, isn't it time for the new queens to fly away to form new nests? That happens here when leafcutter ants's winged females (and males) are about to take off to mate.

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Photographed
PublishedAugust 30, 2013

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