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Subfamily Myrmicinae
- This page contains pictures and information about Black Valentine Ants that we found in
the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
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- Body length 5mm
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- Those ants have the heart-shaped
gaster so their name Valentine Ants. They are usually found on plants.
They are generalist predators and tending Hemiptera
and the caterpillars of butterflies in family Lycaenidae.
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- In the pictures above, those ants are attending the aphids for the honeydew.
The aphids
suck the plant juice. Within the juice, there are water and sugar more than
the aphids' need. They are excreted as
honeydew.
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- Crematogaster is a common genera. Some species are black and
some are brown with black abdomen. They are usually found as workers in
large group. They are quite aggressive and will attack when disturbed.
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- They have well-developed chemical defenses and are avoided by most insects
and other animals. They nest in soils, in cracks or on tree trunks. Their
colonies are medium in size, with a few thousands of workers.
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- Reference:
- 1. Northern
Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.
- 2. Australian
Ants: Their Biology and Identification - S Shattuck, Natalie J
Barnett, CSIRO, 1999, p132.
[ Up ] [ Valentine Ant ] [ Bicoloured Pennant Ant ] [ Muscleman Tree-ant ] [ Yellow Shield Ant ] [ Brown Shield Ant ]
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