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Browsing ant (Lepisiota frauenfeldi)

Browsing ants are an exotic invasive ant and a serious environmental pest, although they have not established in Australia. They can form large super colonies that displace native ants and invertebrates and disrupt ecosystems.

Key facts

Type: Pest animal, invertebrate.

Native to: South East Asia, including Timor-Leste.

Established in: QLD, WA.

Identification

  • The ant is slender and shiny dark brown.
  • It is 3 to 4 mm long, with long antennae and long legs.
  • When undisturbed, it generally moves slowly; when disturbed, it runs around in a haphazard way.
  • It may be found on the ground, in trees, in leaf litter or in infrastructure such as electrical boxes.

Where it lives

Browsing ants have not established in Australia, but detections have occurred in the NT, Western Australia and Queensland, including around Darwin and near Kakadu.

Why it matters

  • Multi-queened super colonies can reach very large numbers and displace or overwhelm native ants and invertebrates.
  • They can outcompete local ants and insects, strip native vegetation and disrupt ecosystems.
  • They can farm and protect aphids, mealybugs and scale insects, which reduce plant health and can spread serious disease.
  • They are not harmful to humans or animals.

How it spreads

  • They can be transported by planes, trains, marine vessels, vehicles in freight, shipping containers, equipment and heavy machinery.
  • They can also travel in luggage and plant or soil matter.
  • Invasive ants can spread undetected through goods and equipment.

Control methods

  • The National Browsing Ant Eradication Program uses luring, observation and odour detection dogs for surveillance.
  • Treatment combines granulated bait specifically for nuisance ants with spray treatment where browsing ant activity has been detected.
  • Intensive post-treatment surveillance follows; eradication can be declared after 2 years of surveillance indicate no ants are present.
  • If you think you have seen browsing ants, call the exotic plant pest hotline on 1800 084 881, or the NBAEP NT program manager on 08 8999 2247.

Site hygiene and welfare

  • Check vehicles and goods when leaving sites where ants may be present, and check vehicles and property before moving to a new location.
  • Avoid transporting plant or soil matter between states or territories.
  • Use methods set out in the national model codes of practice and standard operating procedures for the species.
  • Coordinate control with neighbours and the local government biosecurity plan, as isolated effort is quickly undone by reinvasion.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Prohibited matter. Report it to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 within 24 hours and do not move or deal with it. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Prohibited matter. It is an offence to deal with it, and you must notify NSW DPIRD as soon as you become aware of it.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Declared pest (C1), prohibited. C1 Exclusion: to be kept out of WA, or out of the parts of WA where it is not established. Report any sighting to DPIRD. It must not be brought into WA (prohibited organism).
  • Tasmania: Not a declared pest. Not a declared pest or prohibited matter in Tasmania. Importing animals is still controlled by Biosecurity Tasmania.
  • Northern Territory: Not a declared pest. Not on an NT declared or prohibited list. Check with the NT Government before keeping, moving or releasing it.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources