Iridomyrmex purpureus, also known as meat ants, meat-eater ants or gravel ants are an ant species found throughout Australia. These ants form underground nests and reach colony sizes up to 65,000 individuals.
Iridomyrmex purpureus is so prolific due, in part, to its reluctance to compete with members of the same species; nests often become joined and from a supercolony. Colonies are often expanded by reproductive females traveling only a short distance from the parent nest and establishing satellite colonies.
Tags: Iridomyrmex | purpureus
About Us
AntBlog is a budding community of ant enthusiasts. We study ants and track ants in the news.... more
Featured
Latest updates
Do ants bleed? Ant circulatory system
Ant blood is a colourless liquid. It is circulated through the body by the contraction...
Formicarium
A formicarium is a purposefuly designed enclosure used to contain and study ants. The...
Eusociality
The term eusocial was introduced in 1966 by Entomologist Suzanne Batra and subsequentl...
About us
We're a community of ant enthusiasts who've been online since August 2008. Richard is ...
Keeping ants in captivity
Keeping and studying ants can be a rewarding experience. Wether you're interested in b...