Podomyrma adelaidae tends to a Lycaenid caterpillar. These caterpillars secrete substances that the ants find attractive, and the ants in turn provide protection from parasites. Poochera, South Australia
Podomyrma adelaidae Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
Podomyrma adelaidae worker foraging on a tree branch. Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
Podomyrma adelaidae
Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
Podomyrma gastralis, found in New Guinea and Northern Australia, is a large, brightly colored arboreal ant. Iron Range National Park, Queensland, Australia
Podomyrma gratiosa
Worker ant forages along a walkway railing. Carisbrook Falls, Victoria, Australia.
A Podomyrma gratiosa worker forages on a tree trunk. These large ants are almost exclusively arboreal, and their swollen legs contain muscles to help them grip the bark firmly. Naracoorte, South Australia
Brute force versus chemical weaponry: the heavily armored Podomyrma gratiosa dispatches small Crematogaster with her powerful mandibles, but the smaller ants use strong defensive chemicals in return, coating their adversary with a thick acrid foam exuded from their abdomens. Naracoorte, South Australia
Podomyrma gratiosa fighting with Crematogaster. Naracoorte, South Australia
A large Podomyrma gratiosa tree ant attacks a column of smaller Crematogaster workers that pass too close to her nest. The Crematogaster fight back, and even though the large size and heavy armor of the Podomyrma allow it a one-on-one advantage, the superior numbers of Crematogaster give the smaller ants the edge in this fight. Naracoorte, South Australia
Life is tough for young ant queens. This Podomyrma (large, red) has survived an assault by Polyrachis ants but is missing an antenna, part of a leg, and carries the attached carcass of one of her attackers around like a war trophy. Yarra Ranges National Park, Victoria, Australia.
Podomyrma inermis
Two arboreal ants, a large Podomyrma inermis tree ant and a small Crematogaster acrobat ant, engage in a territorial skirmish. Adelaide, South Australia
Podomyrma sp.
A muscleman tree ant returns to her nest with part of a fresh insect kill. Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
The taxonomy of Australia's muscleman tree ants- genus Podomyrma- remains incomplete enough that this small forest species is not easily assigned to any existing species. Yarra Ranges National Park, Victoria, Australia.
Mungkan Kandju National Park, Queensland, Australia
Podomyrma sp. Mungkan Kandju National Park, Queensland, Australia
