Myrmecia brevinoda (Giant Bulldog Ant)

Myrmecia brevinoda  (Giant Bulldog Ant)
 
One of the largest and most aggressive Bulldog ant species in Australia - Myrmecia brevinoda are most certainly not for the feint hearted. Queen ants of this species are very similar to Myrmecia gulosa, often reach an astonishing 4cm in size, with workers also reaching lengths of 2-3.5cms. Queens and workers are mostly a dark, ferrous red throughout with black gasters.  
 
However, it's not only its size and large frame that make this a fearsome species of ant. In fact, Myrmecia brevinoda have unusually large eyes which can be easily seen with the naked eye. These allow queens and workers to distiniguish objects that are anywhere between 5-80cms in their field of vision. Coupled with their long, strongly toothed mandibles and a powerful stinger (pain can last upto 15-20 mins), it's no wonder why this species is so well adapted to its environment. 
 
Its innately aggresive nature means that feeding and maintaining can be tricky. Therefore, it's often advised that hobbyists have a degree of experience prior to keeping this species.
 
The founding stage is lengthy and arduous with eggs taking as long as six months to develop into young worker ants. However, that being said - colonies can reach impressive sizes upto a thousand workers. 
 
Queens of this species should be considered semi-claustral and as such, need to be supplemented with freshly killed insects and sugar water which will provide necessary protein and sugars for herself and her growing larvae. 
 
During the foundation stage, it is incredibly important to limit physical interactions as much as possible as queens will often consume their brood in response to stress. 
 
Young queen's should be housed in a setup that will enable you to feed them without having to disrupt their founding/claustral chamber. 
 
Most importantly, temperature parameters should be set between 25-26.5C and a humidity level of 60% should be observed.  
 
Lastly, one should consider having substrates such as cocoa fibre/lignocel/coarse sand to ensure that larvae are able to pupate properly and therefore, eclose successfully into a young worker ant.
 
All in all, a truly charismatic species of ant that if cared for properly, will provide countless opportunities of rare and fascinating behaviours not seen in many other species. 
 
With all of that being said.... "Of course it had to be Australian, eh?!". 
 
It is illegal and strictly frowned upon to release any non-native ants into the wild.