Odorous Garden Ant

Sub-family:Dolichoderinae

Common name: Odorous Garden Ant

Scientific name: Iridomyrmex spp.

Key Features

· Black in colour

· Produces a distinctive odour when crushed

· Not commonly found indoors

· Compound eyes placed relatively high on the head away from the mandibles

· Sometimes confused with the Argentine ants but they differ in color and odour when they’re crushed

Key features and biology

This ant is commonly found across Australia.

As their name would indicate they produce a really distinct odour when they’re crushed and is one of the most easily recognisable species of ant, amongst other black ants, due to this distinguishing feature. They frequently venture across garden edges and similar areas and are found to be a common pest within houses and gardens.

The Odorous Garden Ant feeds very aggressively on other insects and they scavenge for moisture. There are large amounts of ants seen when the immatures are being moved between different areas within the nests. This ant species is known to have either a single or multiple queens within their nests and the nests have multiple nests. There is only a single worker caste though.

Food preferences

Their feed predominantly on protein sources (primarily other insects) however, they will feed on liquid sugars primarily for the moisture components.

Size

Approx. 4 mm

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