Jumping Ants If you spend any time working in the bush over summer, chances are you will come into contact with a jumping ant or ten. The experience is likely to be a painful one.
T
his is because Jumping Ants belong to the Australian native stinging ant genus, Myrmecia. The genus is broadly subdivided into bull ants, also known as bulldog or soldier ants of which the red and black species (Myrmecia pyriformis) is a good example, and the jumping bull ants such as the Jack Jumper Ants (Myrmecia pilosula) and Common Jumping Ants (Myrmecia nigrocincta). Bull ants can be large, around 15mm to 25mm long, whereas Jack Jumper and Common Jumping Ants are generally 10mm to 15mm long and often display jerky, jumping movements Shared characteristics include large eyes, long, slender mandibles and a potent venom-loaded sting. They have superior vision, and can track and even follow intruders from a distance of one metre. Many species of bull ants have bright red or orange colours on the head or abdomen. Jack Jumper and Jumping Ants can be told apart by the all black body and yellow jaws of the Jack Jumpers and the orange and black bodies of the Common Jumping Ants, but geographically Jack Jumpers are more likely to be found in the southern mainland states including Tasmania, while Common Jumping Ants are more common from Victoria to north Queensland. North of the harbour the most common species is the Common Jumping Ant. All up there are about 90 species of Myrmecia ants in Australia with nine species recorded in Sydney. There may be more as yet undiscovered. Jumping Ants live in urban areas, forests, woodland and heath. Their nests are usually underground and can extend several metres. Small entrances are inconspicuously hidden under a rock, or may be formed from a 20 to
60cm diameter mound of finely granular gravel. Jumping Ants are carnivores and scavengers. They collect nectar and other plant juices, as well as animal prey, which are carried back to the nest. They sting their victims with venom that is similar to stings of wasps, bees, and fire ants. Their venom is one of the most powerful in the insect world. Jumping Ants are proven hunters; even wasps are hunted and devoured. As with many species of bull ants, Jumping Ants are usually solitary when they forage, though they live in colonies like most ants, and only workers forage. They are highly territorial, and fights among Jumping Ants from different, and even the same, colonies are not uncommon.
The Sting Bull and Jumping Ants will attack intruders of any size that come too close to their nest, and will follow or even chase them a good distance. The ants deliver painful stings by gripping the intruder with their mandibles (jaws), curling their abdomen to reveal the sting and injecting the victim with venom. Often multiple stings are delivered. Jumping Ants are aggressive and the stings they deliver, like those of bees and wasps, are very painful. Local swelling is very common, lasting a few days at a time. An ice pack or commercially available spray may be used to relieve the swelling and pain (Rapaid is provided in Hornsby Bushcare First Aid kits). Alternatively, if Bracken Fern (Pteridium esculentum) is nearby – and it usually is - rub frond sap on the sting site (new unfurling fronds are best). Relief should occur within fifteen minutes.
If the itching and pain is persistent, ask a pharmacist for advice about antihistamines. The more serious reactions are generalised allergic reactions, the most severe of which is anaphylaxis. Jumping Ants are responsible for about 90 per cent of anaphylaxis in Australia, (Jumper Ants in Tasmania). Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction in which the person often gets a rash, feels their throat tighten, and experiences swelling of the lips and face and difficulty breathing. If there is evidence of an anaphylactic reaction immediate medical treatment is needed. If you have previously had a serious allergic or anaphylactic reaction to an ant sting you should carry adrenaline while working on a Bushcare site. Let your Bushcare Trainer know if you have been diagnosed with allergies or if you are carrying medication. Wearing the recommended PPE (long trousers, closed shoes, long sleeves and gloves) will reduce the intensity of ant sting – though they can still bite through clothing. It is good practice to mark Jumping Ant nests on Bushcare sites so they can be avoided. If you come across an ant nest please let your Bushcare Trainer know. Hopefully before you get stung. Information sources: Tristram Thomas; Bush Regenerator: North Sydney Council Professor Simon Brown: HYPERLINK “http://www.allergy.org.au/content/ view/12/111/”Australian Ant Venom Allergy Study (AAVAS) Australian Museum: Martyn Robinson pers. comment; and website: australianmuseum.net.au Image: www.brisbaneinsects.com hornsby.nsw.gov.au/bushcare 7