March 24, 2009 11:19 by
Alan
The new queen (centre) surrounded by workers. Photo: Alan Henderson Source: Museum Victoria
A new colony of Jumping Jacks (Myrmecia pilosula) has been installed into a reinvigorated exhibit within the Bugs Alive exhibition. The enclosure showcases the ants within a cut-away burrow display so that the normally secretive behaviours can been seen by Museum visitors. These ants are quite venomous and can sting repeatedly if disturbed, hence their inclusion in the Venomous Creatures part of Bugs Alive.
The colony was collected today from Bacchus Marsh where the species is quite common. The ants were carefully excavated from their nest in the ground using a trowel and soup spoon. A large queen, many workers, pupae, and some new winged queens made up the colony - all were transported safely back to the Museum. Live Exhibits staff will now nurture the colony to ensure they settle in well.
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