Green Head Ant

Rhytidoponera Metallica

Green Head Ant (Rhytidoponera Metallica)
  • Philipp Hoenle, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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    • Color: Metallic green and blue and purple, black
    • Worker size: 5-8 millimetres
    • Colony size: 80-450+
    • Queen: 8 millimetres, semi-claustral, polygyne

    Introduction

    Green-Head ants live up to their name, as they are a shiny metallic green on their heads. This can vary from green-blue to green-purple. They are about 5-8 mm long. Their nests could be built in gardens and urban areas, as well as in woodlands and forests. They are known to nest under rocks and shrubs, or even in trees. They take food and water into consideration when choosing where to nest.

    Unique Traits

    Sunbathers

    Green-Head ants have a very interesting behaviour. They are known to sunbathe! They just sit on leaves in the sun. This is said to regulate temperature. This behaviour could also be to dry themselves after rain.

    Defences

    Green-head ants can sting, but it’s usually not dangerous to humans, although some can get allergic reactions. Green-Head ants bite and swarm enemies when their nest is disturbed. These ants also carry their wounded back to the nest to heal, as they are highly dependent on each other for survival. Unlike some other ant species, Green-Head Ants don’t fear rain, as long as it's not too much.

    Habitat & Diet

    This species of ants loves protein as a source of food, and prefers it over other sources. It likes to eat dead insects. They scavenge and hunt during the day. They love hunting down worms. They will tend to scale insects for their honeydew. These ants are native to Australia.

    Sources:

    Written by: Eric Qian