Natal droptail ant

Myrmicaria natalensis · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Natal droptail ant
Photo: JMK, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Natal droptail ant occurs over a wide area in the Afrotropics. It can be identified by a down-curved abdomen and spines on the middle body segment.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Myrmicaria natalensis has an extensive range throughout the Afrotropical region.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

It may be confused with other Myrmicaria species, but the down-curved gaster and mesosoma spines set it apart.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Natal droptail ant photo 2
Photo: JMK, CC BY-SA 3.0
Natal droptail ant photo 3
Photo: JMK, CC BY-SA
Natal droptail ant photo 4
Photo: JMK, CC BY-SA 3.0
Natal droptail ant photo 5
Photo: JMK, CC BY-SA 3.0

Questions people ask

How can I recognize a Natal droptail ant?

Look for the characteristic down-curved abdomen and the spines on its middle body segment.

Source: Wikipedia

Where is the Natal droptail ant found?

It is native to a broad area of the Afrotropics.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Formicidae)

Eastern Black Carpenter AntEastern Black Carpenter AntCamponotus pennsylvanicusCan damage your homeRed Imported Fire AntRed Imported Fire AntSolenopsis invictaCan stingAmerican Winter AntAmerican Winter AntPrenolepis imparisArgentine AntArgentine AntLinepithema humileNuisance, not dangerousImmigrant Pavement AntImmigrant Pavement AntTetramorium immigransCan stingOdorous House AntOdorous House AntTapinoma sessileCan damage your home

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmicaria_natalensis

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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