Sydney Ant Species

Today, around fifteen thousand known ant species and subspecies in the world, from which a tenth of those can be found in Australia. Ants are found in every Australian state and territory. Most of them can be found in bushlands and rainforests.

• Coastal brown ants (Pheidole megacephala), an ant species usually found in buildings, along paths and rocky areas, throwing out piles of soil and debris. They are approximately 1.5 mm to 3.0 mm in length and have a light brown or brown colour. Their diet consists mostly of proteins and fats. Coastal brown ants have minor and major soldier castes. A major soldier ant relatively has a larger head.
• Brown house ants (Doleromyrma darwiniana) are ants that have similar nesting habits as coastal brown ants. They are brown in colour and can grow from 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm in size. They release a distinct odour when crushed because of the formic acid in their bodies. Their diet consists mostly of high protein food.
• Pharaoh's ants (Monomorium pharaonis) are rare ant species in Australia but are very common in Europe and the USA. These ants often build their nests inside buildings as they prefer warm locations such as heating ducts. Their colonies are huge and can have multiple queens. These queens ants tend to leave their nests and start new colonies at the first sign of trouble, such as insecticides. Pharaoh´s ants are usually 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm in size and have a yellow-brown or dark brown colour. Their diet consists of protein food, fatty and sugary food.
• Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) is an ant species that first arrived from South America. They are known as serious pest and were the target of many eradication campaigns since the 1950s. These ants nest in exposed soil or hide in plants or logs. They are 1.5 mm to 3.0 mm in size and have a light brown or brown colour. They can be very aggressive and drive out other ants and other animals from their living/nesting areas. Ther diet consists of sugary food, meat, insects and seeds.
• Odorous ants (Tapinoma minutum) are ants that make their nests inside buildings and in wall voids. They are 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm in size and have a brown or dark brown colour. Their diet consists of sweet foods, meat and household scraps.
• Singapore ants (Monomorium destructor) are ants that have similar nesting habits as coastal brown ants. Unfortunately, they occasionally nest in electrical switch boxes and can bite through plastic and rubber. They are 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm in size and have a light brown colour with a darker posterior abdomen. They have a powerful bite and sting. Their diet consists of both sugars and meat.