DESCRIPTION
One of the most common ant species in some parts of Australia, these pests have a dark, metallic colouration varying from a green-blue to a green-purple sheen. Typically, they reach 5-6mm in length and have a very distinctive square shaped single node on pedicel.
This species has a widespread distribution across Australia.
They are soil dwellers when nesting and can be found in urban as well as rural locations where they may inhabit woodlands, grasslands or even lawns.
Nests can also be found under rocks and logs.
Multiple stings could lead to anaphylactic shock.
behaviour
Green-headed ants have a broad-ranging diet, but they generally feed on animal material both as scavengers and predators. They move quickly while foraging, which generally occurs during the day, on the ground and among vegetation.
They are able to colonise disturbed areas quickly and have become common in urban areas. These ants are one of the first insects to forage after bush fires and are sometimes found as soon as the embers have stopped smouldering.
risks
The green-headed ant is an infamous nuisance for suburban and urban dwellers in Australia. The ants generally build their nests underground beneath most types of grasses and often go unnoticed until someone, or sometimes some animal, is bitten.
The actual ant's bite itself is often unnoticeable, however the venom that the ant injects via a sting, in its abdomen, initiates a sharp burning sensation beginning seconds after the sting and lasting up until any time from five minutes to as long as two hours or, with some subspecies, up to a day. The venom is generally harmless but if a large number of stings are received at once the overwhelming amount of venom injected into the body can sometimes render a small child physically ill for a few hours.
