Can anyone here identify this ant?

I discovered them wandering around my kitchen windowsill, only 2 or 3 at a time, sometimes one on its lonesome.

It seems they are finding their way inside, get lost and can’t find their way back (from where ever they be from)
I usually end up catching them to release into my porch garden.

Size: 8mm approx.

Temperament: non aggressive, curious, slow moving unless you tickle their antenna

Colour: black or really dark grey, there is a band on the tail which appears pale yellow or even white in some light.
(which doesn’t show clearly in this image.)
This image is the best I could get on my phone as they move around constantly.
The body is much darker than appears in this image.

Location: Far Nth Qld

I’ve been here:
http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Welcome_to_AntWiki

and here:
http://www.ozanimals.com/wildlife/Insect/Ants.html

but I can’t find a visual match.

Aquila said:

Can anyone here identify this ant?

I discovered them wandering around my kitchen windowsill, only 2 or 3 at a time, sometimes one on its lonesome.

It seems they are finding their way inside, get lost and can’t find their way back (from where ever they be from)
I usually end up catching them to release into my porch garden.

Size: 8mm approx.

Temperament: non aggressive, curious, slow moving unless you tickle their antenna

Colour: black or really dark grey, there is a band on the tail which appears pale yellow or even white in some light.
(which doesn’t show clearly in this image.)
This image is the best I could get on my phone as they move around constantly.
The body is much darker than appears in this image.

Location: Far Nth Qld

I’ve been here:
http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Welcome_to_AntWiki

and here:
http://www.ozanimals.com/wildlife/Insect/Ants.html

but I can’t find a visual match.

Try here: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ant%20identification%20australia&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=ant%20identification%20australia&sc=1-28&sp=-1&sk=

Could be a golden-tailed spiny ant, or a golden-tailed ant.

Thanks but no joy yet.

Have I discovered a new species, maybe?

Aquila said:

Thanks but no joy yet.

Have I discovered a new species, maybe?

That image link I gave you had some very similar ones in it.

Aquila said:

Thanks but no joy yet.

Have I discovered a new species, maybe?

Helix knows a lot of stuff. Try over at fffs.

Tamb said:

Aquila said:

Thanks but no joy yet.

Have I discovered a new species, maybe?

That image link I gave you had some very similar ones in it.

I had a look there Tamb, but couldn’t find any match
The two I thought might be a match, upon closer inspection revealed different shaped mid-section and head

roughbarked said:

Aquila said:

Thanks but no joy yet.

Have I discovered a new species, maybe?

Helix knows a lot of stuff. Try over at fffs.

Not even close, bro :)

what is fffs?

roughbarked said:

Aquila said:

Thanks but no joy yet.

Have I discovered a new species, maybe?

Helix knows a lot of stuff. Try over at fffs.

I’m pretty certain that’s a Gold Bum Ant (Genus Polyrhachis)

Aquila said:

roughbarked said:

Aquila said:

Thanks but no joy yet.

Have I discovered a new species, maybe?

Helix knows a lot of stuff. Try over at fffs.

Not even close, bro :)

what is fffs?

I know but it was at least golden and from far north NSW. ;)
http://fffsforums.com/index.php?sid=04629ee4bce33afe9076b4dd1c1fc4c3

roughbarked said:

I know but it was at least golden and from far north NSW. ;)
http://fffsforums.com/index.php?sid=04629ee4bce33afe9076b4dd1c1fc4c3

chuckle

cheers for that link

Polyrhacis is right for my golden spiny ant.

but what about this image?

roughbarked said:

Polyrhacis is right for my golden spiny ant.

but what about this image?

Sugar ant?

roughbarked said:

but what about this image?

nope

Aquila said:

roughbarked said:

but what about this image?

nope

Ah well, I’ve not got much experience with tropical ants. There’s more than 4,000 species of them.

Your seems to be in the Dolichoderus Subfamily that has a number of species. The attached link might get you to genus and even species, but you would most likely need a specimen to examine under a microscope.

http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Dolichoderus

PermeateFree said:

Your seems to be in the Dolichoderus Subfamily that has a number of species. The attached link might get you to genus and even species, but you would most likely need a specimen to examine under a microscope.

http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Dolichoderus

Yeah, this image looks in the vein.

PermeateFree said:

Your seems to be in the Dolichoderus Subfamily that has a number of species. The attached link might get you to genus and even species, but you would most likely need a specimen to examine under a microscope.

http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Dolichoderus

Correction to the above:
The Subfamily is Dolichoderinae and the Genus is Dolichoderus, which has on last count 142 species worldwide, with 22 species and subspecies in Australia. I have tried to key it to species level and the closest (information visible from photo) seems to be Dolichoderus inferus, but the problem with that, is it has mainly been found around Sydney and not at all in Nth Qld. So either something else (possibly new species) or introduced to your area.

If you have a close look at the ant under a microscope you might be able to determine if it is Dolichoderus inferus. Most other ants in this genus are much smaller than yours too. Anyway it sounds like an interesting find and would be worth sending specimens to the Australian Museum.
http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Dolichoderus_inferus

All I know about ant identification is to first look at the jaws.

Long multi-knobbed jaws are the Myrmeciinae.