Taxonomic history
Smith, 1858a PDF: 109 (q.m.); Wheeler & Wheeler, 1952a PDF: 116 (l.); Imai et al., 1977 PDF: 347 (k.).Senior synonym of Amblyopone cephalotes: Brown, 1958h PDF: 14; Brown, 1960a: 167; Taylor, 1987a PDF: 7; Bolton, 1995b: 61.Status as species: Smith, 1858a PDF: 109; Roger, 1861a PDF: 48; Roger, 1863b PDF: 20; Mayr, 1863a PDF: 394; Mayr, 1886c PDF: 359; Emery, 1887f PDF: 446; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 13; André, 1896d PDF: 260; Forel, 1907j PDF: 263; Forel, 1910b PDF: 1; Emery, 1911e PDF: 25; Emery, 1914a PDF: 179; Forel, 1915b PDF: 1; Poulton, 1922: 120; Clark, 1925b PDF: 137; Wheeler, 1927c PDF: 4 (redescription); Clark, 1928c: 39; Clark, 1929b PDF: 121; Wheeler, 1933i: 74; Clark, 1934c PDF: 52; Wilson, 1958c PDF: 142; Brown, 1958h PDF: 13 (redescription); Brown, 1960a: 167, 198; Wilson & Taylor, 1967b PDF: 102; Taylor, 1979 PDF: 835; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 19; Taylor, 1987a PDF: 6; Bolton, 1995b: 61; Shattuck & McArthur, 1995: 121; Don, 2007: 50; Heterick, 2009 PDF: 132; Sarnat et al., 2013 PDF: 69.Senior synonym Amblyopone australis fortis: Brown, 1958h PDF: 13; Brown, 1960a: 167; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 19; Taylor, 1987a PDF: 6; Bolton, 1995b: 61.Senior synonym of Amblyopone australis foveolata: Brown, 1958h PDF: 13; Brown, 1960a: 167; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 19; Taylor, 1987a PDF: 6; Bolton, 1995b: 61.Senior synonym of Amblyopone laevidens: Wilson, 1958c PDF: 142; Brown, 1958h PDF: 13; Brown, 1960a: 167; Bolton, 1995b: 61.Senior synonym of Amblyopone cephalotes maculata: Brown, 1958h PDF: 14; Brown, 1960a: 167; Bolton, 1995b: 61.Senior synonym of Amblyopone minor: Brown, 1958h PDF: 13; Brown, 1960a: 167; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 19; Taylor, 1987a PDF: 6; Bolton, 1995b: 61.Senior synonym of Amblyopone nana: Wilson, 1958c PDF: 142; Brown, 1958h PDF: 13; Brown, 1960a: 167; Taylor, 1987a PDF: 7; Bolton, 1995b: 61.Senior synonym of Amblyopone australis obscura: Brown, 1958h PDF: 13; Brown, 1960a: 167; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 19; Taylor, 1987a PDF: 6; Bolton, 1995b: 61.Material of the unavailable names Amblyopone australis cephalotes howensis, Amblyopone australis cephalotes norfolkensis, Amblyopone australis obscura pallens, Amblyopone australis laevidens queenslandica referred here by: Brown, 1958h PDF: 13; Brown, 1960a: 167; Bolton, 1995b: 61.[Note: the four unavailable names above were previously referred to as provisional junior synonyms by Brown, 1958h PDF: 13.].Amblyopone australis, Erichs . Wiegm. Archiv (1842), p. 260 [[worker]].
Worker. Length 3 lines.-Shining ferruginous, or rufopiceous; sparingly pubescent. Head large, the vertex and front down to the insertion of the antennae, finely but rather distantly punctured; a deep central channel extends from the middle of the bead to its anterior margin; on each side the head is obliquely striated; the mandibles longitudinally striated. Thorax: the prothorax rounded in front, convex, subglobose, punctured on the sides, the disk impunctate; the metathorax oblong, the sides parallel, truncate posteriorly, rather obliquely so. Abdomen oblong, smooth and shining, with the apex pale rufo-testaceous.
The female has the head more strongly punctured, the mesothorax much larger, and the scutellum developed; the wings subhyaline, with the nervures testaceous; the prothorax, metathorax, and sides of the node of the peduncle strongly punctured.
Male. Length 2 1/2 lines.-Black, shining and pubescent: head and thorax strongly punctured; the head transverse, the eyes large and lateral; antenna; elongate, filiform; the antennae, tibiae and tarsi rufo-testaceous; wings as in the female.
Erichson only describes the worker of this species: the male and female are in the Museum Collection.
Amblyopone australis, the southern Michelin ant, is a species of ant in the genus Amblyopone, native to Australia. The species was described by Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson in 1842.[1] Workers can vary in colour from yellow to dark brown or black. They have a body length of 4.5–8mm; queens are larger.[2]
It has been accidentally introduced to New Zealand, where it has become widely established across the North Island. It is the largest ant species established in New Zealand.[2]
Amblyopone australis lives in relatively small colonies of tens to hundreds (up to 2000), typically under logs or stones. Adults forage above and below ground, preying upon other arthropods, paralysing them with their sting. Larvae are fed dismembered body parts of prey.[2]
Amblyopone australis, the southern Michelin ant, is a species of ant in the genus Amblyopone, native to Australia. The species was described by Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson in 1842. Workers can vary in colour from yellow to dark brown or black. They have a body length of 4.5–8mm; queens are larger.
It has been accidentally introduced to New Zealand, where it has become widely established across the North Island. It is the largest ant species established in New Zealand.
