northern meat ant
- Scientific Name
- Iridomyrmex sanguineus
- Category
- Insects & Gastropods
"Meat ants (purpureus group of Iridomyrmex) are among the most conspicuous insects throughout inland Australia. They are fast-moving and aggressive ants occurring in very large colonies. A colony of the Northern meat ant consists of numerous nests interconnected by ant 'freeways'. Like all Tyrant ants (species of Iridomyrmex), meat ants give off a characteristic 'crushed ants' odour when disturbed."
— From ‘Ants of Northern Australia: A Guide to the Monsoonal Fauna’, by Alan N. Andersen.
The Bininj Kunwok name djak is generic however and is not restricted to the northern meat ant but would include other similar sized ants with ground nests.
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Contribute
Do you have photographs of plants and animals from Kakadu and western Arnhem Land?
You can contribute them to this site. Search for a species in the search engine below and follow the instructions to contribute your images.