Bull ant fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are bull ants?

Bull ants are native Australian ants in the genus Myrmecia. They are insects in the order Hymenoptera and the ant family Formicidae. Bull ants are easy to recognise because they are usually larger than many other ants and have large compound eyes, long legs, a narrow waist, strong toothed mandibles and a painful sting. Australia has about 90 bull ant species, and the Australian Museum records nine species from Sydney.

At Field of Mars Reserve, bull ants are most likely to be found on the ground in bushland, especially around soil, leaf litter, rocks, logs and the bases of trees in eucalypt forest.

A bull ant.

Where do bull ants live?

Bull ants are found throughout Australia and live in urban bushland, forests, woodland and heath. Most species build nests underground. These nests may be hidden, have a small entrance hole, or have a cleared area around the opening. Nests can extend a long way below the ground. At Field of Mars Reserve, leaf litter, natural soil, rock and log habitats, tree bases and eucalypt forest all help provide places for bull ants to forage and nest.

Bull ant nests are mostly underground with a small entrance.

What do bull ants eat?

Adult bull ants feed mostly on nectar, honeydew and other sweet liquids. Workers also hunt other invertebrates and carry prey back to the nest, where the larvae are fed on insects. Unlike many other ant species, bull ant workers usually forage alone rather than forming long scent trails.

Bull ants will forage for prey to feed to larvae in the nest.

Adult bull ants mostly feed on nectar.

What is the life cycle of a bull ant?

At certain times of the year, winged males and new queens leave the nest to mate. After mating, a new queen searches for a suitable nesting place, makes a first chamber and raises the first brood of workers. In an ant colony, the queen lays the eggs, workers care for the young, and males are produced seasonally for breeding.

Bull ants have complete metamorphosis: eggs hatch into larvae, larvae develop into pupae, and adults emerge as workers, males or queens.

Winged males and new queens will fly from the nest to establish a new colony.

Adult workers look after pupae in cocoons the nest chamber.

What adaptations do bull ants have to help them survive?

Bull ants have several adaptations that help them survive. Their large eyes give them very good vision for an ant, helping them detect movement and find their way while hunting. Their long toothed mandibles help them grab prey and defend themselves. They also have a powerful sting that can be used against predators and to subdue prey. Many bull ants hunt alone on the ground or on low vegetation, which helps them search widely for food without depending on a foraging trail.

Bull ants have large compound eyes and strong mandibles to help find and capture prey.

Why are bull ants important?

Bull ants are important because they help keep bushland ecosystems healthy. By hunting other invertebrates and carrying prey back to their nests, they help control some insect populations, and by feeding on nectar and other sweet plant juices they also take part in food webs linked to plants. Like other ants, bull ants are part of Australia’s ecologically important insect life, and they also become food for other animals. This means bull ants help move energy through the ecosystem and support the balance of life in habitats such as forests and woodland.

Bull ants are important insects in bushland ecosystems.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – overview
• Insects fact sheet  – general insect body parts and features
• Golden-tailed spiny ant fact sheet – another native ant fact sheet for comparison
• Bush cockroaches fact sheet – another ground-dwelling invertebrate that uses leaf litter and logs

Habitats and ecosystems

• Leaf litter habitats fact sheet
• Rock and log habitats fact sheet
• Eucalypt forest fact sheet
• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet

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