Native Animals History and Science
Introduction
Ants are among the most abundant and ecologically significant insects in Australia, including Victoria. From the meat ants (Iridomyrmex purpureus) that build sprawling mounds on the open plains to the tiny sugar ants (Camponotus spp.) that patrol eucalyptus canopies, these creatures are tireless workers whose activities shape soils, seed dispersal, and food webs (Shattuck 1999). For Indigenous communities, ants were not only part of everyday observation but also teachers, food sources, and beings of story, linked to resilience, cooperation, and survival (Massola 1968). Across Australia, ants appear in Dreaming stories, seasonal calendars, and totemic identities. Today, ants are recognised as keystone species, vital to ecosystem function and symbols of adaptation.
Diversity of Ants in Victoria and Australia
Australia is home to over 1,300 described species of ants, with hundreds more yet to be formally recorded (Andersen 2000).
Victoria supports diverse species across forests, plains, and wetlands:
Meat Ant (Iridomyrmex purpureus) — dominant on open plains, builds large mounds
Bull Ants (Myrmecia spp.) — large, visually striking, powerful stings
Sugar Ants (Camponotus spp.) — common in forests and urban areas
Honey Ants (Melophorus spp.) — store nectar as food in arid regions
Ecology and Behaviour
Ants are often described as engineers of Country:
Soil aeration through nesting
Seed dispersal (myrmecochory)
Predation and scavenging
Foundation of food webs
Their colonies regulate ecosystems at both microscopic and landscape scales.
🆕 Indigenous Names for Ants in Victoria and Kulin Nations
Across Victoria, ants are deeply embedded in ecological knowledge and cultural systems. However, as with many species-specific terms, verified language words for “ant” in Wadawurrung and broader Kulin languages are limited in widely published sources (Clark 1990).
Rather than relying on a single fixed term, ants are understood through:
Their role as workers and builders
Their behaviour in soil, fire, and seasonal change
Their presence as collective beings representing community
Across south-eastern Australia, language records show:
Generalised terms for insects or small ground creatures, rather than species-specific names
Cultural references where ants are described through action (carrying, building, gathering) rather than strict classification
Oral storytelling where ants are identified by function and teaching role
On Wadawurrung Country, ants are clearly recognised within:
Seasonal indicators (e.g. mound activity before rain)
Food gathering practices (larvae and, in some regions, honey ants)
Teaching stories about cooperation and responsibility
There is no single universal word for “ant” across Victoria, reflecting the place-based nature of language and knowledge.
Language, Lore, and Meaning
In Indigenous systems of lore:
Ants symbolise cooperation and collective strength
Their work represents balance and shared responsibility
Their colonies mirror kinship systems and social structure
Thus, meaning is carried through story, observation, and practice, not just vocabulary.
Language Loss and Revival
The limited availability of recorded words reflects:
Disruption of oral language systems
Suppression of language through colonisation
Loss of knowledge holders
Today, language revitalisation programs are working to restore ecological vocabulary through:
Historical wordlists
Oral histories
Cultural knowledge systems
As this continues, species-based terms — including those for ants — are gradually being reconnected to Country.
Ants in Indigenous Knowledge and Lore
For Indigenous communities, ants were central to daily life:
Food: larvae and honey ants provided nutrition
Seasonal indicators: mound activity predicted weather
Totemic roles: linked to kinship and responsibility
Teaching stories: emphasised cooperation and persistence
Ants represent the idea that survival comes through collective effort governed by lore.
Wadawurrung Country and Ant Knowledge
On Wadawurrung Country:
Meat ant mounds marked seasonal change
Ant activity indicated environmental conditions
Stories used ants to teach cooperation and balance
Their presence across volcanic plains reinforced their role as visible markers of Country’s health.
Case Study: Meat Ant Mounds on the Volcanic Plains
The Victorian Volcanic Plains are a key landscape for meat ants.
Ecological role: regulate insect populations and aerate soil
Cultural role: indicators of weather and seasonal change
Teaching role: symbol of work, cooperation, and responsibility
When ants sealed their nests, it was understood as a sign of approaching rain — a practical and cultural observation.
Ants in Colonial Records
Colonists observed ants as:
Pests or obstacles
Objects of curiosity
Subjects of early scientific study
However, their deeper cultural significance was largely unrecognised.
Symbolism and Meaning
Indigenous perspective: ants represent cooperation, resilience, and responsibility
Colonial perspective: pests or curiosities
Scientific perspective: keystone ecosystem engineers
Conservation and Environmental Change
Ant populations face modern challenges:
Habitat loss
Invasive species
Climate change
Protecting ants supports biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Conclusion
Ants are small but essential builders of Country. They shape soil, support ecosystems, and teach lessons of cooperation and balance.
For Indigenous peoples, including the Wadawurrung, ants are more than insects — they are teachers of lore, showing how communities thrive through shared effort and respect for environment.
To understand ants is to understand the foundations of life itself — the unseen systems that sustain Country.
References
Andersen, AN 2000, The Ants of Northern Australia: A Guide to the Monsoonal Fauna, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Balme, J & Beck, W 2002, Australian Archaeology: A Reader, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
Clark, ID 1990, Aboriginal Languages and Clans: An Historical Atlas of Western and Central Victoria, 1800–1900, Monash Publications in Geography, Melbourne.
Massola, A 1968, Bunjil’s Cave: Myths, Legends and Superstitions of the Aborigines of South-East Australia, Lansdowne Press, Melbourne.
Rolls, EC 1969, They All Ran Wild: The Animals and Plants that Plague Australia, Angus & Robertson, Sydney.
Shattuck, SO 1999, Australian Ants: Their Biology and Identification, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter 16/09/2025
Magic Lands Alliance
Sharing the truth of Indigenous and colonial history through film, education, land and community.
Copyright of MLA – 2025
Magic Lands Alliance acknowledge the Traditional Owners, Custodians, and First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. We honour their enduring connection to the sky, land, waters, language, and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, and to all First Peoples communities and language groups. This article draws only on publicly available information; many cultural practices remain the intellectual property of communities.