Blue ant

For other uses, see Blue ant (disambiguation).

Blue ant
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Tiphiidae
Subfamily:	Diamminae
Genus:	Diamma
Species:	D. bicolor
Binomial name
Diamma bicolor Westwood, 1835

The blue ant (Diamma bicolor, also known as the blue-ant or bluebottle) is, despite its name and its appearance, not an ant at all, but rather a species of large solitary parasitic wasp sometimes known as a flower wasp. It is a native of south and southeast Australia, including the Australian states of Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. It is the sole member of the subfamily Diamminae, and is both morphologically and behaviorally unusual among members of the family Tiphiidae.

Blue ants have a distinctive metallic blue-green body, with red legs. The female ranges up to 25 mm (1 inch) in length, is wingless and ground-dwelling, and exclusively hunts mole crickets, whereas all other species of tiphiids attack beetle larvae. The cricket is paralysed with venom injected by the female's stinger and an egg is laid upon it so the wasp larva has a ready supply of food. The male is smaller, approximately 15 mm (0.5 inches), and has wings. Adults feed on nectar, and pollinate various native Australian flowers.

The sting can cause a severe burning sensation and swelling in humans; in rare cases, it can cause a life threatening reaction (such as anaphylaxis).

Blue Ant female

Blue Ant female with damaged antennae

External links

• Blue-ant Fact File (from the Australian Museum)
• Flower wasps (from the Australian Museum)
• Insect identification and advice (from CSIRO Entomology)
• Common names (and image) (from CSIRO Entomology)