Bulldog Ants
One of the genuses of ants is the bulldog ants or Myrmecia. They are also called as bull ants. They are one of the largest of the specie measuring up to 40 mm in length whereas their smallest species is 15 mm long. There are approximately 90 species of bulldog ants and almost all of them are native to Australia.
Bulldog ants are well known for their venomous stings which can cause serious welt on animals and humans. Any sting from bull ants must be immediately treated to avoid lethal damages.
The most distinguished characteristic of these ants are large eyes and long, slender and powerful mandibles. These strong mandibles are used to grab food and fight off predators. These alert ants have superb vision and can track their predators from a distance of 1 meter.
What do bull ants feed on?
Bulldog ants feed on small insects, honeydew, seed, fungi, gum and nectar. The adult ants are usually herbivorous and feed on nectar and honeydew while the larvae are carnivorous and eat small insects which are bought to them by hunting worker ants.
Will to Live:
Bull ants are perfect examples of creatures that have the true will to survive. If you cut an Australian bull ant into two, the head and the tail will fight each other to live. The head will hold the tail by its teeth while the tail will sting the head. This battle can last for around 30 minutes or until they are dragged by other ants or till they die.
Why are they called bulldog ants?
Bull ants are named so because of their deadly grip and lethal bites. Their jaws are so powerful that they can crush their prey to death. These ants as mentioned earlier are largely found in Australia. But some species are also found in parts of Tasmania and even fewer of them are present in North Caledonia.
Colony formation:
Bull ant colonies are formed by the queen who mates with multiple males from her original colony. She carries the sperms and the unfertilized eggs to a place she feels is suitable to form a colony. She then lays the eggs and tends the nest till the eggs are hatched. She also tends to the larvae which grow into small female ants. After the nest is full of female ants, the queen then lays eggs which will all be males.
The male ants will then mate with the females and this way they start new colonies. Bulldog ant queen is one of the few insects that can determine whether the eggs are males or females.