Asian tyrant ant
Iridomyrmex anceps
The Asian tyrant ant is a small ant that lives mostly in northern Australia. It has travelled far and is also found on many islands. It is a helpful babysitter for the caterpillars of a pretty butterfly.
Lives in
Mostly northern Australia, also on many islands and in Asia
What does it eat?
Like many ants, it eats small creatures and sweet drops. Caterpillars it looks after give it a sugary treat.
How fast is it?
A garden snail about 0.05 km/h (0.03 mph)
A tortoise about 0.3 km/h (0.19 mph)
Asian tyrant ant about 0.3 km/h (0.19 mph)
A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
It is one of the most common ants that look after the caterpillars of the imperial hairstreak butterfly.
2
The caterpillars give the ants sweet drops, and the ants guard them from enemies.
3
Some of these ants have even been found as far away as the United Arab Emirates.
you asked
Most asked questions about Asian tyrant ant
?Where does the Asian tyrant ant live?
Mostly in northern Australia, and also on islands and in parts of Asia.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Iridomyrmex anceps
- Named by
- Roger, 1863
- Group
- Ants
- Family
- Formicidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Hymenoptera > Formicidae
- Lives on
- Australia and Oceania, Asia
Where the facts come from
- Iridomyrmex anceps (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by April Nobile. CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
Bug Wiki honey jar For grown-ups: Bug Wiki is free, with no ads and no tracking. A small tip helps keep it online.Leave a tip
Black garden ant
Bullet ant
Pharaoh ant
Argentine ant
Red imported fire ant
Yellow crazy ant
Hairy rose beetle
Blackberry looper moth
Brown-banded carder bumble bee
Air potato leaf beetle
Weaver's fritillary
Black-tailed aphideater