Australian Stink Ant vs Gracile Acerentomid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Australian Stink Ant Gracile Acerentomid
Scientific Name Iridomyrmex bicknelli Acerentomon nemorale
Order Hymenoptera Protura
Family Formicidae Acerentomidae
Size 3-5 mm 0.8-1.5 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Sap Feeders Omnivores
Regions Australia, Oceania Europe
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Australian Stink Ant

A small, fast-moving ant that releases a strong, unpleasant odour when crushed, giving it its common name. It forms large colonies and is one of the most common ants in Australian suburban environments.

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Did You Know?

Iridomyrmex ants dominate Australian ant communities and are among the most ecologically successful ants in the Southern Hemisphere.

Gracile Acerentomid

A delicate proturan found in European deciduous forest soils, particularly in beech and oak stands. It requires consistently moist soil conditions.

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Did You Know?

Proturans are so small and obscure that the entire order was unknown to science until 1907.