Just to clarify what everyone is saying about these ants, it is not the bite which is painful but the sting in their rear end. The Tasmanian form of this ant is often considered the most dangerous ant species
in the world and I believe that in most years at least one person dies from the shock of the sting.
One of the first things I tell people when I take them out to Tidbinbilla NR is to keep an eye on where you are standing. I usually manage to find a nest of this species as well as showing people the Bull(dog)
Ant.
Mark
From: Philip Veerman [
Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2017 7:53 PM
To:
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] Entomologists' Corner
What I sent to you I meant to go to the discussion about the jumping ants on the chat line. Could you please forward it to the chat line
Elizabeth
From: Elizabeth Compston
Sent: Sunday, 5 February, 2017 4:39 PM To: Philip Veerman
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Entomologists' Corner
The hopper ants are very dangerous. Many years ago, we were bush walking along the ridge above Tidbinbilla, between The Pyramid and the road that goes up to Gibraltar Rocks. A member of our party was bitten by a jumper ant and she passed
out. We went for help at the old Tidbinbilla information Centre, after somehow contacting one ranger. An ambulance came out from Canberra, but it could not get up the Gibraltar Rocks Road--no 4WD, that's how long ago it was. She was put in the back of a
ranger ute.
Elizabeth
Sent from my iPad
On 5 Feb 2017, at 11:59, Philip Veerman <> wrote:
Well I learned something from that. The existence of gamergates. I had always thought that the queen was the only breeder and that all workers are sisters. Yet
another twist.
Philip
From: Geoffrey Dabb
Sent: Sunday, 5 February, 2017 11:23 AM
To:
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] Entomologists' Corner
Yes Con, that’s the chap. My grandfather, who lived at Upwey, called them hopper ants and warned me about them a very long time ago. I might have added that ants generally have been very active this summer
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From: Con Boekel
Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2017 10:52 AM
To: Geoffrey Dabb
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Entomologists' Corner
Hi Geoffrey
Are Hopper Ants also called Jack Jumper Ants? The latter can cause deadly anaphylactic shock.
regards
Con
On 2/5/2017 10:28 AM, Geoffrey Dabb wrote:
While engaging in a short session of dogball on Rocky Knob Neighbourhood Park just now I came across a colony of hopper ants. I have seen these in local woodlands but not so close to home. They are larger than the meat ant, certainly
hop, and have (as I experienced just now) a more painful sting – more so than the bull-ant, in my opinion. On a close view they have orange pincers. I wonder where they came from. If they turn up in your garden you will certainly want to get rid of them.
