Golden Spiny Ant vs Lunate Ichneumon
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Golden Spiny Ant | Lunate Ichneumon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Polyrhachis ammon | Megarhyssa greenei |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Formicidae | Ichneumonidae |
| Size | 5-7 mm | 25-40 mm body, ovipositor up to 80 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Woodlands |
| Diet | Nectar Feeders | Parasitoids |
| Regions | Australia | North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Golden Spiny Ant
A striking Australian spiny ant with golden pubescence covering a black body. Workers have prominent paired petiolar spines. Colonies nest in soil mounds or under bark and are common in Australian eucalypt woodlands.
Did You Know?
Their golden body hairs reflect sunlight and may help with thermoregulation in the hot Australian sun.
Lunate Ichneumon
A reddish-brown parasitoid wasp native to North America. It targets horntail larvae in hardwood trees and uses its long ovipositor to reach them.
Did You Know?
It is the smallest of the three North American Megarhyssa species but still impressively large.