Bull Ants - The Australian Museum

Skip to main content Skip to acknowledgement of country Skip to footer

Click to enlarge image

Fast Facts

• Classification Genus Myrmecia Subfamily Myrmeciinae Family Formicidae Super Family Vespoidea Suborder Apocrita Order Hymenoptera Class Insecta Subphylum Uniramia Phylum Arthopoda Kingdom Animalia
• Number of Species 90
• Size Range 8 mm - 40 mm

Bull ants have a fearsome reputation, and deservedly so.

Identification

Bull ants are large, alert ants that can grow up to 40 mm They have characteristic large eyes and long, slender mandibles and a potent venom-loaded sting. They have superior vision, able to track and even follow intruders from a distance of 1 metre. Many species of bull ants have bright red or orange colours on the head or abdomen.

There are about 90 species of bull ants in Australia with diverse behaviours and life cycles. Nine bull ant species have been recorded in Sydney, but there may be more as yet undiscovered. Some of the smaller species are known as jumper ants after their habit of aggressively jumping toward intruders.

Habitat

Bull ants live in urban areas, forests and woodland, and heath.

Distribution

Bull ants are found throughout Australia.

Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia

Feeding and diet

Bull ants collect nectar and other plant juices, as well as animal prey, which are carried back to the nest.

Other behaviours and adaptations

Bull ant nests are usually underground and often have hidden or small entrances. The nests can extend several metres below the ground. They attack intruders of any size that come too close to their nest. Bull ants also have well-developed vision and will follow or even chase an intruder a good distance from the nest. Usually the sight of large aggressive ants streaming out of the nest is enough to prompt a hasty retreat. If not, the ants deliver painful stings by gripping the intruder with their mandibles (jaws), curling their abdomen to reveal the sting and injecting the victim with venom. Often multiple stings are delivered.

Life history cycle

Several species have no colony workers. Instead, a raiding queen invades the nest of another species, kills the resident queen and takes over the colony.

Danger to humans

These ants can deliver painful stings and are aggressive. An ice pack or commercially available spray may be used to relieve the pain of the sting. If there is evidence of an allergic reaction, medical attention should be sought.

Back to top of main content Go back to top of page

Also in this section

• Floury Baker Cicada
• Shepherd's Footman Termessa shepherdi Newman, 1856
• What are insects?
• Jewel Beetle
• Blackish Meadow Katydid
• Blue Mountains Firefly
• Ants: Family Formicidae
• Green-head Ant
• Hover flies
• Bess Beetle
• Aedoea decreta (Butler, 1877)
• Grapevine Moth

You may also be interested in...

What are the differences between ants and termites?

Ants and termites are sometimes mistaken for each other, however they are very different insect groups.

Discover more

Bull Shark, Carcharhinus leucas Valenciennes, 1839

Bull Shark, Carcharhinus leucas Valenciennes, 1839

Discover more

Spiders that look like ants

AM scientists have discovered two new species of ant-mimic spiders that gain their ant-like appearance in a most unusual way.

Read more

Insect bites and stings

The majority of insects in Australia are not harmful to humans. However, some insects bite and sting if they are threatened so it is best to avoid touching them if you want to avoid being stung or bitten.

Discover more

Blue Ant

Blue Ant

Discover more

Ants as pests

For most people ants only become a problem when they enter buildings in search of food and water or when they build their nests in buildings or gardens.

Discover more

Velvet ants

Velvet ants

Discover more

Lycaenid butterflies and ants

Lycaenid butterflies and ants

Discover more

Ants: Family Formicidae

Ants are one of the most successful and ecologically important groups of terrestrial insects. They have colonised all terrestrial habitats throughout the world except the polar regions and highest mountaintops.

Discover more

Bull Apis - E39829

The life and death of Egyptian god.

3D interactive Discover more

Ant-raiding Ant

Ant-raiding Ant

Discover more

Green-head Ant

Green-head Ant

Discover more You have reached the end of the main content. Go back to start of main content Go back to top of page Back to top You have reached the end of the page. Thank you for reading. Website Navigation Dialog Modal

• What's On
• AM Shop
• Join & Give

• Visit & Book
  • Plan your Visit
    • What's On Calendar
    • Location & Transport
    • Admission information
    • Food & Dining
    • Access & Inclusion
  • AM Membership
    • Become a Member
    • Members-only events
    • Member login
    • Explore magazine
    • Gift Membership
  • Group Bookings
  • Visitor Guides & Map
  • Museum Shop
• Learn & Connect
  • News & Stories
    • Latest news
    • Read our articles
    • Listen to podcasts
    • Exhibition publications
    • Media Centre
  • Education
    • Education programs
    • School excursions
    • First Nations learning resources
    • Science learning resources
    • History learning resources
  • Culture
    • First Nations cultures and history
    • First Nations Collections
    • Pasifika cultures and history
    • Pasifika Collections
    • World Cultures
    • Cultural Collection Enhancement Project
  • Science
    • Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI®) Submenu
      • Lizard Island Research Station
      • Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics
      • AMRI Seminars and Lectures
      • Collection Care and Conservation
      • Citizen science projects
      • Expeditions and fieldwork
    • Life & Geoscience Collections Submenu
      • Archaeology
      • Arachnology
      • Entomology
      • Herpetology
      • Ichthyology
      • Malacology
      • Mammalogy
      • Marine Invertebrates
      • Mineralogy
      • Ornithology
      • Palaeontology
      • Frozen Tissue
      • AMRI Collection Enhancement Project
    • Learning resources Submenu
      • Australia over time
      • Earth Science
      • Dinosaurs and their relatives
      • Human evolution
      • Biodiversity
      • Education resources
    • Search our Science Journal
    • Australian Museum Eureka Prizes
    • Animal factsheets Submenu
      • Spiders
      • Native frogs
      • Reptiles
      • Worms
      • Molluscs
      • Sea squirts and sea tulips
      • Jellyfish, anemones and corals
      • Mammals
      • Australian Bats
      • Fishes
      • Birds
      • Insects
      • Plankton
      • Sea stars and sea urchins
      • Centipedes and millipedes
      • Crustaceans
      • Dangerous Australian animals
      • Australia’s extinct animals
  • Climate Change
    • Learn about climate change
    • Impacts of climate change
    • Climate change solutions
    • Stories of our changing environment
    • Climate Solutions Centre
• About Us
  • About the Australian Museum
    • Organisation & Governance
    • Australian Museum Collections
    • Archives & Research Library
    • History of the AM
    • Visitor information
  • Support the AM
    • Australian Museum Foundation
    • Donate to the Museum
    • Partnerships
    • Become a Member
  • Venue or Exhibition Hire
    • Venues & Functions
    • Touring Exhibitions
  • Join our Team
    • Staff profiles
    • Work at the Museum
    • Awards & Fellowships
    • Student opportunities
    • Volunteer at the Australian Museum
  • Contact
    • Contact List
    • Ask an Expert or Archivist
    • Ask an Elder
    • Subscribe to our eNewsletter
    • Search our Website

Close navigation modal Website Search Dialog Modal Search website Submit Search Close search modal

The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.

Image credit: gadigal yilimung (shield) made by Uncle Charles Chicka Madden

Close modal dialog Close Modal Dialog Close Modal Dialog Close Modal Dialog