Myrmecia urens
Species of ant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Myrmecia urens is a species of ant in the genus Myrmecia (bulldog ants) found in Australia.
| Myrmecia urens | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmeciinae |
| Genus: | Myrmecia |
| Species: | M. urens |
| Binomial name | |
| Myrmecia urens Lowne, 1865 | |
Behaviour and ecology
While pollination by ants is somewhat rare,[1] the orchid Leporella fimbriata is a myrmecophyte which can only be pollinated by the winged males of this species.[2][3][4] Pollination of this orchid usually occurs between April and June during warm afternoons, and may take several days until the males all die due to their limited lifespan.[5] The flower mimics M. urens queens, and so the males move from flower to flower in an attempt to copulate with it.[6][7]
