©Anne Hoggett: Trichomyrmex mayri on a post at the airstrip shelter, Lizard Island. The largest is 2.5 mm long. QPWS officers identified similar-looking ants as T. mayri on the same post a few weeks before this photo was taken, and it's assumed these are the same species.
©Anne Hoggett: Trichomyrmex mayri on a post at the airstrip shelter, Lizard Island. The largest is 2.5 mm long. QPWS officers identified similar-looking ants as T. mayri on the same post a few weeks before this photo was taken, and it's assumed these are the same species.
Distinguishing features
An introduced, highly-invasive and destructive species. Distinctively coloured orange and brown. According to QPWS rangers who were surveying the species at Lizard Island in 2018, these small ants are easy to spot because they move in very tight formation.
Size
- Size data has not been obtained.
Wingspan
- Wingspan data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Similar taxa
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Animalia:
Singapore Ant (species: Trichomyrmex destructor)
was originally thought to be the introduced ant at Lizard Island but QPWS advised in May 2018 that Ben Hoffmann (CSIRO entomologist) had identified it as Trichomyrmex mayri which also goes by the common name 'Singapore Ant'.
Comments
QPWS ranger Warwick told LIRS on 14 Oct 2015 that many of these ants have been found at the resort for the first time. They are chewing through electrical wiring and causing problems there. The large number indicates that they have been there for some time. The ant is transported easily with building and landscaping materials. LIRS has had no problems with electrical wiring to date, indicating that the ants are not here yet. CSIRO Ant Ecologist Dr Ben Hoffmann surveyed the LIRS lease soon afterwards and noted no sign of the species.
The species was initally thought to be Trichomyrmex destructor but identification was revised to Trichomyrmex mayri by Ben Hoffmann according to QPWS rangers in May 2018.
by Anne Hoggett
