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Muscleman Tree-ant - Podomyrma gratiosa
Subfamily Myrmicinae
- This page contains pictures and information about Muscleman Tree-ants that we found in
the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
-
 - Body Length 10 to 12mm
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- The ants are reddish brown in colour, with a black abdomen and strong
mandibles. They
are easily recognized for their spiny shoulders and swollen upper arms on
their legs.
-
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- We noticed that they have at least two body sizes. Most of them are 10mm, but a few are 12mm in length. They
build their nest in the tree hole of a living gum tree, about one meter
above the ground. We do not see another nest of the same species near
by.
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- The nest entry.
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- We visit them
from time to time and find that they are also active in winter although their
numbers in winter are fewer in summer. We
found the ants foraging on other tree trunks and ground near the tree.
These ants move slower compared to other ant species.
-
Ants
as Predator - prey on Stingless Bees
  -
- We
saw once those ants gather around a Native
Stingless Bee nest, waiting for returning home bee lands near them and
attack those bees.
Ants
as Predator - prey on Clown Bug
- We once saw some ants caught a bug just in front of their nest entry.
The bug had landed in wrong place and gave the ants an easy meal.
The bug was a Dark Clown Bug.
The ants were 10-12 mm in length with a brown body and black abdomen.
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  -
- The bug tried to escape but was held tightly by the ants. A few minutes later, about ten
more ants came and each held the legs and antenna of the bug.
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  -
- More and more ants came to help. Some ants started to climb on the bug's
body and bite off its wings.
Notice
that there was an ant, which was slightly larger in size (in the top left corner
of each pictures), standing behind
those ants. It seemed it was the commander of this bug-catching operation. It never
helped to hold the bug, but its touching the smaller ants in turn, could be
giving instructions.
-
  -
- We came back an hour later. The legs, wings and head of the bug were
removed. The ants were trying to move the bug body into their nest. We checked the
body and cannot smell the stink from the bug, which it would usually released to
expel its predators. We could only feel the strong smell of acid which was
released by the ants to kill the bug.
-
 
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- After the bug's wings were removed, we can see the top pattern of the bug. It is
the eye catching pattern with bright orange and black colours. It is the warning
pattern to tell the predators, such as birds, that 'I am a distasteful stink
bug'. It obviously did not work on ants.
-
- Reference:
- 1. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus &
Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p288.
- 2.
Podomyrma - myrmecos.net,
2005.
- 3. Australian
Ants: Their Biology and Identification - S Shattuck, Natalie J
Barnett, CSIRO, 1999, p157.
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