Meat ant is a 2-star species card from the Stone Age. Meat ants build big gravel-covered mounds, with tens of thousands of ants in a single nest.
Bonus by grade
| Grade | Copies needed | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 0 | +4% population growth |
| Uncommon | 2 | +7.2% population growth |
| Rare | 5 | +12% population growth |
| Epic | 10 | +18% population growth |
| Legendary | 20 | +28% population growth |
Duplicates raise the grade: Uncommon at 2, Rare at 5, Epic at 10, Legendary at 20.
Codex
- Common: The meat ant (Iridomyrmex purpureus) is native to Australia.
- Uncommon: Their mounds are often covered with small stones, seeds or charcoal (so they're also called gravel ants), and kept clear of plants.
- Rare: One colony can spread over many connected nests.
- Epic: They're very aggressive and will mob intruders.
- Legendary: Farmers have used meat ants to clean dead animals down to the bones.
Field notes are reviewed regularly. Spot something wrong? Tell us.
Field guide
| Size | Workers about 6–10 mm; queens about 10–12 mm |
| Colony | Up to about 64,000 ants in one nest; linked nests hold more |
| Queens | Usually one queen per colony; colonies can spread over many nests |
| Nest | Underground, with a pebble-covered mound in sunny open ground; some last decades |
| Diet | Dead insects, aphid honeydew and other sweet foods, plus live prey |
| Defence | No sting; bites and sprays defensive chemicals, and mobs larger animals |
| Active | Day, foraging in sunny weather |
| Lifespan | Not well known; a nest can last for decades |
| Where it lives | Throughout Australia, from open grassland to dry scrub |
Did you know?
- They are immune to cane toad toxin, so they can survive alongside this invasive toad.
- Linked nests can stretch up to 650 metres, with workers swapping young and food between them.
- Workers attack prey in waves, going for the legs and joints.
Sources: australian.museum, antcube.shop, publish.csiro.au
Codex sets
- First ants: Founding Queen, Funnel ant, Black garden ant, Meat ant, Coastal brown ant, Honeypot ant, Green-head ant, Jack jumper ant, Yellow meadow ant, Little black ant, Thief ant
Queen affinity
- Black garden ant: ×1 chance
- Meat ant: ×0.85 chance
- Bull ant: ×0.6 chance