- Joined
- Aug 8, 2005
- Messages
- 11,048
It appears we might have a minor version similar to the Bullet Ant around here and I'm wondering if anyone could shed some light.
My other, wifey partner, got her foot chomped by an ant yesterday. The pain was instantaneous and so severe she almost screamed and it made her eyes water. Keep in mind we are talking about a pretty stoic hill tribe gal who has nanced with some pretty narsty critters over the years. She stated the pain was much worse than any bite or sting she has ever had and that includes those caterpillars that can put you toes up in a cold room.
The ants in question. They aren't all that common around here but I see them now and then. Say, less than 1% of the sitings of ants I see every day. They are about the same size as the big red ant common in the US, around 1cm long, but the body is noticeably heftier. The color appears to be black at a casual glance but close examination shows they are very very dark red. They make nests in the ground so rule out wood munchers and arboreals. Their mandibles are formidable, maybe half again the size of the US red or Aus green ant. All the ants of this species appear to be this same size so this wouldn't be a soldier/guardian version of a smaller variety.
The bite was on a toe. Pain onset was instant. Neurological reaction so severe her leg muscles contracted so she could barely walk for a few seconds. A red welt an inch across appeared in about 5 seconds and swelled to half an inch high. This reduced to not visible in about 20 minutes. The pain gradually diminished after about 4 hours to no longer felt.
Could anybody clue me, ID them?
My other, wifey partner, got her foot chomped by an ant yesterday. The pain was instantaneous and so severe she almost screamed and it made her eyes water. Keep in mind we are talking about a pretty stoic hill tribe gal who has nanced with some pretty narsty critters over the years. She stated the pain was much worse than any bite or sting she has ever had and that includes those caterpillars that can put you toes up in a cold room.
The ants in question. They aren't all that common around here but I see them now and then. Say, less than 1% of the sitings of ants I see every day. They are about the same size as the big red ant common in the US, around 1cm long, but the body is noticeably heftier. The color appears to be black at a casual glance but close examination shows they are very very dark red. They make nests in the ground so rule out wood munchers and arboreals. Their mandibles are formidable, maybe half again the size of the US red or Aus green ant. All the ants of this species appear to be this same size so this wouldn't be a soldier/guardian version of a smaller variety.
The bite was on a toe. Pain onset was instant. Neurological reaction so severe her leg muscles contracted so she could barely walk for a few seconds. A red welt an inch across appeared in about 5 seconds and swelled to half an inch high. This reduced to not visible in about 20 minutes. The pain gradually diminished after about 4 hours to no longer felt.
Could anybody clue me, ID them?
Last edited:
