Ant fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are ants?

Ants are insects in the family Formicidae. They belong to the order Hymenoptera, the same insect order as bees and wasps. Like other insects, ants have six legs, three main body parts, antennae and a hard outer skeleton called an exoskeleton. Most ants are easy to recognise because they have elbowed antennae and a narrow waist between the middle and rear parts of the body.

Ants are social insects. This means they live in colonies where different ants have different jobs. A colony may include a queen, workers, males, eggs, larvae and pupae. The ants most often seen walking along the ground, climbing plants or visiting flowers are workers.

An ant.

A banded sugar ant carrying a cocoon.

Where do ants live?

Ants live in many different habitats. In the Sydney area, ants can be found in bushland, gardens, school grounds, parks, lawns, under bark, inside rotting wood, in soil, beneath rocks and among leaf litter. Fallen logs, loose bark, tree bases, dry soil and plant stems provide shelter and nesting places for many species.

Different ants use different nesting sites. Meat ants often build soil nests with open, gravelly areas around the entrance. Funnel ants are named for the cone or funnel-shaped entrance to their underground nests. Black house ants may nest in trees, dry logs, hollow stems, soil spaces or buildings.

Many ants nest underground and use small entrances to move in and out of the colony.

Native ants of Sydney

Sydney’s native ants are not all the same. Some are large and easy to notice, while others are tiny and difficult to identify without expert knowledge. Many small black or brown ants look similar, so it is best to describe their size, colour, nest, behaviour and habitat rather than guessing the exact species.

Banded sugar ants (Camponotus consobrinus) are relatively large ants with an orange-brown middle body and darker head and rear body.

Green-head ants (Rhytidoponera metallica) have a shiny metallic green, blue or purple body. They forage during the day on the ground and among vegetation. They can sting if handled or disturbed.

Meat ants (Iridomyrmex purpureus) are reddish-brown and dark ants that often build obvious soil nests. They are active ground-foraging ants and can strongly defend their nest if disturbed.

Bull ants (Myrmecia species) are large native ants with big eyes, long mandibles and a painful sting. Some bull ants may be seen in Sydney bushland and should always be observed from a safe distance.

Golden-tailed spiny ants (Polyrhachis ammon) are native ants with spines on the body and golden hairs on the rear section. They are associated with open eucalypt forests along eastern Australia.

Funnel ants (Aphaenogaster longiceps) are often easier to notice by their nest entrances than by the ants themselves. Their nests can have small cone or funnel-shaped openings in the soil.

Black trail ants (Iridomyrmex bicknelli) are small native ants that may be seen moving along trails in warm, open or disturbed areas.

Black house ants (Ochetellus glaber) are native to Australia and may nest in trees, logs, soil spaces or buildings. They can become common around homes and schools when attracted to sweet foods.

Introduced ants in Sydney

Introduced ants arrived in Australia from overseas, often accidentally through trade, transport, soil, plants, cargo or other materials. Some introduced ants can become pests because they form large colonies, compete with native ants or become common around homes, schools and gardens.

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) and coastal brown ants, also called big-headed ants (Pheidole megacephala), are introduced ants that can affect native ant communities and become problems in urban areas.

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) are introduced ants that can become serious pests and compete with native ants.

Big-headed ants (Pheidole megacephala), also called coastal brown ants, are introduced ants that can become pests in urban areas.

What do ants eat?

Ants have many different diets. Adult ants often feed on liquids such as nectar, honeydew and other sugar-rich secretions. Worker ants may also hunt, scavenge and collect plant or animal material to feed the larvae. Some ants collect dead insects and other animal material, while others collect seeds, plant juices or honeydew produced by aphids, scale insects and other sap-sucking invertebrates.

Banded sugar ants are attracted to sweet foods and may collect nectar, plant secretions and honeydew. Green-head ants feed on animal material as predators and scavengers. Funnel ants are generalist feeders and may collect plant and animal material near their nest entrances.

Some ants feed on honeydew, a sweet liquid produced by aphids and other sap-sucking insects.

What is the life cycle of an ant?

Ants have a complete life cycle with four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The queen lays eggs in the nest. The eggs hatch into soft larvae that are cared for and fed by worker ants. The larvae then become pupae, where they change into adult ants.

Adult ants have different roles. Worker ants usually collect food, care for young, build or repair the nest and defend the colony. Males and young queens are produced when a colony is ready to reproduce. In some species, winged ants leave the nest after rain or in warm weather to mate and start new colonies.

Ants grow from eggs into larvae and pupae before becoming adults.

What adaptations do ants have to help them survive?

Ants have many adaptations that help them survive. Their antennae help them touch, smell and communicate with other ants. Many ants use chemical trails to help workers find food and return to the nest. Strong mandibles help ants carry food, dig, defend the nest and handle prey.

Living in a colony is one of the most important ant adaptations. One ant is small, but a colony can work together to find food, protect young, repair the nest and defend itself. Some ants bite, some sting and some spray defensive chemicals. Students should observe ants carefully and should not touch ants or disturb nests.

Bull ants use antennae, body movements and chemical signals to communicate.

Why are ants important?

Ants are important parts of food webs. They are predators, scavengers, seed collectors and prey for other animals. Birds, lizards, spiders, frogs and other invertebrates may eat ants or ant larvae. Ants also help recycle nutrients when they collect dead animals and plant material.

Many Australian plants have seeds that are moved by ants. Some seeds have a small food-rich part called an elaiosome. Ants carry the seed away, eat or remove the food-rich part, and may leave the seed in or near the soil where it has a better chance of growing. This type of seed dispersal is called myrmecochory.

Some seeds have food-rich parts that attract ants and help with seed dispersal.

How can you help ants?

You can help native ants by protecting habitat. Leave leaf litter, fallen bark, logs and natural soil areas where it is safe to do so. These places provide nesting sites, shelter and hunting areas for ants and many other invertebrates.

Avoid unnecessary pesticide use in gardens and outdoor learning areas. Watch ants without touching them, blocking their trails or disturbing their nests. Ants are small, but their colonies are important parts of healthy bushland ecosystems.

Bushland contains habitats that support a variety of ant species.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – overview
• Insect fact sheet – overview of insect body parts and features.
• Bull ant fact sheet – a large native ant with strong jaws, large eyes and a painful sting.
• Golden-tailed spiny ant fact sheet – a spiny-bodied ant with a golden tail section and a strong sting.
• Termite fact sheet – termites are sometimes confused with ants, but they belong to a different insect group.
• True bug fact sheet – includes sap-sucking insects such as aphids and plant hoppers that may interact with ants.
• Plant hopper fact sheet – some ants collect honeydew from plant hoppers and other sap-sucking insects.
• Blue-banded bee fact sheet – ants, bees and wasps all belong to the order Hymenoptera.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Leaf litter habitat fact sheet – explains the ground-layer habitat used by ants and many other invertebrates.
• Rock and log habitats fact sheet – logs and rocks create sheltered places for ants and other small animals.
• Eucalypt forest fact sheet – learn about the bushland environment that supports many ant species.
• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – learn about the reserve and the habitats found there.

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