Interactions
How do meat ants acquire their food?
Iridomyrmex
purpureus is an aggressive and dominant species of ant that
forages in great numbers (Harris and Berry 2013). Meat ants
are omnivorous, eating both plants and animals, foraging mostly
during daylight hours. The ants collect live and dead
invertebrates and acquire the meat of dead vertebrates, which is
where they gained their name of “Meat Ants” as they clean carcasses
(Queensland Museum 2013; Australian Museum 2010). Often, a
number of nests will spread over a wide area of one colony and be
connected by a large number of trails, creating super nests
(Australian Museum 2010). These trails are used to travel
between nests and to trees which provide seeds for foraging,
mutualistic relationship grounds with caterpillars, and insects as
food. Foragers are more active during the summer season due to
the New South Wales citrus orchard nearly halting over winter
(Harris and Berry 2013).
Do these ants interact with
any other species?
The meat ants
typically form a mutualistic relationship with caterpillars of
different butterflies, such as Lycaenid larvae. The ants
protect the larvae from predation in an exchange for sugary fluids
secreted by the butterflies (Harris and Berry 2013; Australian
Museum 2010).
What predators are typical?
Meat ants are
extremely aggressive towards other species of ants and are the
dominant species of the Australian ant population. I. purpureus
will be aggressive to other neighboring colonies to establish
borders and territorial grounds (Australian Museum 2010). They
typically travel in large numbers which fends off predators, but
there are
spiders that mimic and prey upon the meat ant.
Although the method is effective, this typically will not hinder
population due to large colony sizes (Harris and Berry 2013).
Does it affect humans or serve as a use to us?
These ants do
not serve much use to us besides the beneficial carcass foraging
that they partake in. They help clean up dead carcasses and
rid of the waste. Meat ants do possess a slight risk for
impact on horticulture. The ants feed on seeds, create paths
to trees or vegetation and use them as sites for foraging and
mutualistic relationships (Harris and Berry 2013).
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