Mayriella

Mayriella is nowhere common although it tends to be patchily distributed and can be locally abundant. The small workers move slowly and may lie motionless when disturbed, thus causing them to be frequently overlooked. Nests are located in soil under stones or in the open with a small mound of loose dirt at the entrance. They also nest in rotten logs. The number of workers in nests averages between 50 and 100, and many nests contain several queens. Foraging workers are commonly collected from litter samples.



Worker of M. ebbei from the ACT.

Identification
The antennae are 10 segmented (including the scape) and have a 2-segmented club. The upper surface of the head has a pair of narrow and deep grooves (antennal scrobes) which contain the entire antennae when at rest. The front margin of the clypeus is armed with a pair of sharp teeth just above the mandibles. The eyes are elongate and the lower section narrows into a point. The shape of the eyes combined with the 10 segmented antennae and the deep antennal scrobes will allow ready identification of these ants.

Distribution and Habitats
Australian distribution



Regional Species Lists

 * Australia

Keys to Species

 * Australia