Bull ants
Scientific name: Myrmecia
Bull ants
Scientific name: Myrmecia
Photo By JJ Harrison , used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
Size varies widely, ranging from 8 - 40 mm in length. Their coloration is variable; black combined with red and yellow is a common pattern, and many species have golden-colored pubescence (hair). The mandibles of the workers are long with a number of teeth, and the clypeus is short. The antennae consist of 12 segments and the eyes are large and convex. The head, node, and postpetiole are broader in the queen, and the mandibles are shorter and also broad. Myrmecia queens are unique in that particular species either have fully winged queens, queens with poorly developed wings, or queens without any wings. Males are easy to identify due to their perceptibly broad and smaller mandibles. Their antennae consist of 13 segments, and are almost the same length as the ants' bodies.
Species of Bull ants
Photo By JJ Harrison , used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 /Cropped and compressed from original