The plumbeous kite (Ictinia plumbea) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.
The plumbeous kite breeds in the Neotropical realm, from eastern Mexico to Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. It also breeds on Trinidad. Birds in the north and south of the breeding range, including the populations in Central America, Trinidad, Venezuela and Colombia, and southern Argentina and Brazil, are migratory, moving into tropical South America in the northern winter.
This is a bird of lowland forest and savannah, which builds a stick nest in a tree and lays 1-2 blue-white eggs. It is typically 33–38 cm (13–15 in) long and weighs 190–280 g (6.7–9.9 oz). It is not particularly gregarious, although it is often seen in flocks during migration.
The plumbeous kite has long, pointed wings. Adults are mainly slate-grey, with a paler head and underparts. The short black tail has 2-3 white bands. The eyes are red and the legs are orange. In flight, this kite shows a rufous primary patch.
Sexes are similar, but immature birds have white-streaked grey upperparts and dark-streaked whitish underparts. They lack the rufous wing patch. The call of plumbeous kite is a whistled si-see-oo.
Their flight is slow, with frequent glides, and the prey is almost exclusively insects taken in the air. It will also prey on bats, birds, snakes, lizards and frogs. This kite often perches conspicuously on dead branches, with its long wings projecting well beyond the tail.


Ictinogomphus rapax, the common clubtail, is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. It is found throughout the Indomalayan region.


It is a large yellow and black colored dragonfly with bluish-grey eyes. The thorax is black, marked with yellow or greenish-yellow stripes. The abdomen is also black with bright yellow marks. There is a leaf-like expansion in both sides of segment 8.
This species usually perches on a bare twig facing the water, commonly found in ponds, tanks and rivers. It breeds in running
and still water.


The small fan-footed wave (Idaea biselata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1767.


The species is widespread from the British Isles across western Europe  and east to the Urals. In northern Europe, the range extends about to central Fennoscandia. In the south the range extends up to central Portugal, Corsica, the northern Apennines and northern Greece. Isolated occurrences are known from Calabria and the Peloponnese. Outside of Europe it is found in the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, in the north of Turkey, in Siberia, in northern Kazakhstan, as well as in the Russian Far East. The subspecies Idaea biselata extincta (Staudinger, 1897) is represented in Korea and the Ussuri region. It rises to about 1,700 metres above sea level in the Alps. South of the Alps, is found from 600 to 1,500 metres and is rarely found below this range.


It is a small (wingspan 22–25 mm), easily missed species. The wings are creamy white with darker bands with a small black discal spot on each wing. The basic colouring and pattern vary relatively little. The ground colour is yellowish white to slightly brownish white, the pattern elements are brown to dark brown. On the forewings the interior crossline is the most clearly shown. However, the outer crossline is usually significantly developed. A pale wavy line that is lined with inner and outer darker colour is located in the marginal field. Forewings and hindwings have black discal spots. On the front wings, these are basal to the middle crossline, on the rear wings they are distal to the interior crossline. Marginal stains are dark brown in colour, but dimly developed. The larva is long and thin, with a few short setae, brownish grey with a white side stripe.


Idaea degeneraria, the Portland ribbon wave, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1799.


In alphabetical order:
Idaea degeneraria alticolaria (Schawerda, 1933)
Idaea degeneraria degeneraria (Hubner, 1800)
Idaea degeneraria erschoffi (Christoph, 1872)


The species has a wingspan of 26–31 mm. These small pale brown geometers are darker brown-marked between antemedian and median lines.


This species can be found in most of Europe, in the Near East and in North Africa. These moths prefer warm limestone undercliffs.


Idaea demissaria, the red-bordered wave moth, is a species of geometrid moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in North America.
The MONA or Hodges number for Idaea demissaria is 7114.


Idaea dimidiata, the single-dotted wave,  is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a Holarctic species.


The species has a wingspan of 13–18 mm. The ground colour of the wings is brownish yellow, brownish white to slightly reddish white. The pattern elements are dark grey to dark brown. The median band  and the two crosslines can be incomplete or interrupted. They are marked by so-called costal stains on the front wing at the costa. There is a light wavy line, which is limited mainly to the inside edge and marked on both sides by dark stains in the marginal field. The fore and hindwings have black discal flecks, which are occasionally significantly weaker on the forewings. Marginal stains are connected by a thin line.The larva is long and thin, grey-brown, with a V-shaped dark spot on each body segment.


The species occurs in the Western Palearctic and in the Nearctic. The species is widespread  in West, South and Central Europe. In the North the range extends to South Scandinavia, and East to the Urals. Idaea dimidiata is found on almost all islands of the Mediterranean.
Outside Europe it is found in Morocco and Northwestern Turkey, the Caucasus and Transcaucasia , from  North Iran it extends to Afghanistan and Central Asia. In Cyprus, Turkey and the Levant in the South dimidiata antitaurica replaces dimidiata dimidiata, which also occurs in Canada and the most northern regions of the United States of America.


Idaea rusticata, the least carpet, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775.


This species can be found in most of Europe, in the Near East and in North Africa. From the Balkan Peninsula, the occurrence continues across the Palearctic though Ukraine, southern Russia and Asia Minor to the Caucasus and from there via northern Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan to the Central Asian mountains as far as Mongolia.  Of all moths in Britain it showed the greatest percentage increase in abundance between 1968 and 2007, and expanded its range beyond the vicinity of London.


These moths inhabit wastelands, open places, parks and well exposed gardens.


Idaea rusticata has a wingspan of 19–21 mm. The length of the forewings is 9–11 mm. The edges of the wings are fringed. The basic colour is whitish or cream, sometimes with a very light brownish tone. The upperside of the forewings shows in the midfield a dark brown to red-brown transverse drawing, with a point-shaped black spot, always within the dark field. This brown marking runs from the front to the rear edge. The upperside of the hindwings is light grey, with darker grey transversal lines. The base of the anterior margin is darkened brown. Also in the hindwings is presents a black point in the discal cell.
The eggs are oval and relatively small. The caterpillar is rather short, becomes thinner towards the hind end, and shows distinct constrictions. It is grey brown or brown and has a narrow, light line on the back. The abdomen is brightly coloured. The head is small and black coloured. The pupa is light brown and has a glossy surface.


It is usually a univoltine species. In southern Europe, under favourable circumstances, a second generation can also be formed. The second generation is significantly smaller. The adults fly at night from July to August, and are attracted to light. The larvae mainly feed on ivy (Hedera) and traveller's joy (Clematis vitalba). and withered leaves of other herbaceous plants.
The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.


Idia aemula, the common idia, powdered snout or waved tabby, is a litter moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1813. It is found from Canada south to Florida and Texas. It has been reported in the Palearctic.
The ground colour of both wings is medium grey. The basal, antemedial, postmedial lines are darker and thin. There is a more diffuse median line and sometimes a median shade. A pale subterminal line is preceded by a dark shade. The reniform spot is large and pale or warm ochre to orange brown. The hindwing has several wavy light and dark lines and a dark discal spot. The wingspan is 20–30 mm. In North America, adults are on wing from May to October in the north and from April to November in the south. There are two to three generations per year.
The larvae feed on dead leaves.


Idia americalis, the American idia or American snout, is a litter moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1854. It is commonly found in moist forests in North America, ranging from southern Canada to Florida and Texas. It is nocturnal and can be lured by sugar baits and light traps.
The American idia has forewings that range in color from grey to beige or light brown, darker toward the outer margin of the wing, with darker scalloped lines crossing the wings laterally. A dark terminal line is located at the base of the wing's fringe. All have a small bronze or brown spot located near the edge of the forewing. The hindwing is a lighter grey than the forewing and also has darker scalloped lines. Darker specimen can be dark grey or brown. The thorax and abdomen are smoothly scaled and the tibia is hairless. Female antenna are simple while male antenna are biciliate; otherwise, the sexes look similar.  The caterpillar is brown with dark brown spots, a black head, and has small white hairs along its sides.
The wingspan ranges from 20 to 30 mm. Adults are on wing from May to October. They can produce two or more broods per year.
It can be differentiated from similar species, such as the common idia, by a row of dark marks located on the anterior forewing.  Idia americalis specimen may be mistaken for a small geometrid moth.
The larvae feed on lichen and detritus, including dead leaves. They may also function as detritivores in ant nests. Adults often feed on lichens attached to tree trunks.


Ilex decidua (meadow holly, also called "possumhaw", "deciduous holly" or "swamp holly") is a species of holly native to the United States.


This is an upright shrub or small tree that is typically between 10 and 15 feet at maturity though it may grow larger provided partial shade. I. decidua grows many thin trunks and stems in a clumping fashion If left un-managed it will develop a large spreading mound of foliage up to 30' in the wild. Bark is "light brown to gray" in color and may be smooth or "warty and roughened". Slender twigs are glabrous and silvery gray, with numerous spur shoots, pointed lateral buds, and acuminate scales.
Distinguishing features of this species are crenate leaf margins and fruiting pedicels that are 2–8 mm long. Its "distinctive leaf shape... is less variable than other species of holly". Leaves are obovate, simple, alternating, and grow to 2.5-7.5 cm long. Although the plant is deciduous, it's dark green leaves do not present any appreciable fall color change prior to dropping.
From March to May small white flowers bloom among the leaves which produce small Drupe fruits ripening in early autumn. Fruits are red (or rarely yellow), shiny, and globose (spherical, or nearly so), with a diameter of 4–8 mm. Following leaf drop, fruits persist on the tree throughout the winter producing a showy winter sight against the bare branches. While they have reached maturity by autumn, producing 3-5 seeds each, it is not until the spring, after they've been exposed to freezing and thawing, that the bitter fruits become a favorite food source of many birds and mammals.


Ilex decidua is a common plant, growing in the US in Alabama, Arkansas, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. It also grows in the northern Mexico states of Chihuahua and Coahuila.
It prefers land in floodplains and the margins of swamps or lakes, and grows at elevations up to about 360 m. It can often be found on limestone glades and bluffs, along streams in wet woods, and in lowland valleys, sloughs and swamps. Other plant species with which possumhaw is associated include water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), overcup oak (Quercus lyrata), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), and hackberry (Celtis spp.).
The fruits attract songbirds and small mammals. Deer browse on young twigs.


The growth habit of I. decidua lends it to various ornamental and functional uses in its native regions. The thick trunks and stems allow this plant to serve as an effective screen if desired. The lower branches can also be removed to form a more tidy small tree with a tight head of foliage at the crown. This plant can be used ornamentally as a shrub or small tree in varied landscape uses and is well suited to backyard gardens. As possumhaw tolerates wet soil and is often found wild in wet woods, it is also an excellent candidate to stabilise stream beds or for the banks of water retention ponds. Arborists may recommend this plant for parking lot buffer strips and islands, highway median strip plantings, or near decks and patios.
Because of its attractive "berries", this tree is often used as a winter ornamental plant and branches may be collected for use as Christmas decorations. The Audubon society specifically included I. decidua among their recommendations for bird-safe outdoor holiday decorations.
Possumhaw wood is not considered to be commercially useful because of the tree's small size.


IIlex decidua 'Red Escort' - Unique male pollinator which resembles 'Warren's Red'
Fruit bearing IIlex decidua cultivars can also be pollinated by any Ilex opaca pollinators


Ilex glabra, also known as Appalachian tea, dye-leaves, evergreen winterberry, gallberry, and inkberry, is a species of evergreen holly native to the coastal plain of eastern North America, from coastal Nova Scotia to Florida and west to Louisiana where it is most commonly found in sandy woods and peripheries of swamps and bogs. Ilex glabra is often found in landscapes of the middle and lower East Coast of the United States. It typically matures to 5–8 ft (1.5–2.4 m) tall, and can spread by root suckers to form colonies. It normally is cultivated as an evergreen shrub in USDA zones 6 to 10.
Gallberry nectar is the source of a pleasant honey that is popular in the southern United States.


Spineless, flat, ovate to elliptic, glossy, dark green leaves (to 1.5 in long) have smooth margins with several marginal teeth near the apex. Leaves usually remain attractive bright green in winter unless temperatures fall below -17 C/0 F. Greenish white flowers (male in cymes and female in cymes or single) appear in spring, but are relatively inconspicuous. If pollinated, female flowers give way to pea-sized, jet black, berry-like drupes (inkberries to 3/8" diameter) which mature in early fall and persist throughout winter to early spring unless consumed by local bird populations. Cultivars of species plants (see for example Ilex glabra 'Shamrock') typically have better form (more compact, less open, less leggy and less suckering) that the species.


Gallberry honey is a highly rated honey that results from bees feeding on inkberry flowers. This honey is locally produced in certain parts of the Southeastern U. S. in areas where beekeepers release bees from late April to early June to coincide with inkberry flowering time.


Dried and roasted inkberry leaves were first used by Native Americans to brew a black tea-like drink, hence the sometimes used common name of Appalachian tea for this shrub.


Ilex mucronata, the mountain holly or catberry, is a species of holly native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland west to Minnesota, and south to Maryland and West Virginia.


It was formerly treated in its own monotypic genus as Nemopanthus mucronatus (L.) Loes., known as "false holly", but transferred to Ilex on molecular data; it is closely related to Ilex amelanchier.


Ilex mucronata is a deciduous shrub growing to 3 m (rarely 4 m) tall (or 6 to 10 feet high from the "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants" by Dr. Michael Dirr.) The leaves are alternate, simple, elliptic to oblong, (1 to 2.5" long and 3/4's as wide) 1.5–7 cm long and 1–3 cm broad, with an entire or finely serrated margin and an acute apex, and a 0.5–2 cm (1/4 to 1/2" long) petiole. The tiny flowers about 1/5" in diameter with 4 to 5 petals are inconspicuous, whitish to greenish-yellow, produced on slender peduncles 25 mm or more long; it is usually dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruit is a red drupe 6–7 mm (1/4 to 1/3") diameter containing three to five pits.


The plant does best in full sun, or part shade is good. It usually grows in moist or draining wet acid soils, often with the similar species of Common Winterberry, Ilex verticillata, but is also found on upland cliffs and slopes on hills and mountains. It develops a yellow autumn color. It is recommended for use in naturalistic landscapes. Its USDA hardiness zone recommendation is zones 4 to 6. The name "mountain holly" is also sometimes used for the related mountain winterberry (Ilex montana).


Ilex verticillata, the winterberry, is a species of holly native to  eastern North America in the United States and southeast Canada, from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Minnesota, and south to Alabama.
Other names that have been used include black alder, Canada holly, coralberry, fever bush, Michigan holly, or winterberry holly.
The species occurs particularly in wetland habitats, but also on dry sand dunes and grassland. The berries are an important food resource for some species of bird, among them the American robin.


Ilex verticillata is a shrub growing to 1–5 m (3–16 ft) tall. It is one of a number of hollies which are deciduous, losing their leaves in the fall. In wet sites, it will spread to form a dense thicket, while in dry soil it remains a tight shrub. The leaves are glossy green, 3.5–9 cm (1+3⁄8–3+1⁄2 in) long, 1.5–3.5 cm (5⁄8–1+3⁄8 in) broad, with a serrated margin and an acute apex. The flowers are small, 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter, with five to eight white petals.
The fruit is a globose red drupe 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) in diameter, which often persists on the branches long into the winter, giving the plant its English name. Like most hollies, it is dioecious, with separate male and female plants; the proximity of at least one male plant is required to pollenize the females in order to bear fruit.


The berries were used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, the origin of the name "fever bush".
The seeds, leaves, bark and berries of the plant can cause nausea and low blood pressure if ingested.


Ilex verticillata – the American winterberry – is prized as an ornamental plant in gardens for the midwinter splash of bright color from densely packed berries, whose visibility is heightened by the loss of foliage; therefore it is popular even where other, evergreen, hollies are also grown. The bare branches covered in berries are also popular for cutting and use in floral arrangements.
It is easy to grow, with very few diseases or pests. Although wet acidic soils are optimal, the winterberry will grow well in the average garden. Numerous cultivars are available, differing in size and shape of the plant and color of the berry. At least one male plant must be planted in proximity to one or more females for them to bear fruit. Because both females and males come in early- and late-flowering varieties, males must be selected to have same timing as the females they are intended to pollinate.


Ilex verticillata 'Winter Red' Fruit is orange-red
Ilex verticillata 'Afterglow' Fruit is orange-red
Ilex verticillata 'Red Sprite' Large, red fruit
Ilex verticillata 'Spravy' "Berry Heavy" Fruit is orange-red
Ilex verticillata 'Spriber' "Berry Nice" Bright red fruit


Ilex verticillata 'Southern Gentleman'
Ilex verticillata 'Jim Dandy'


Impatiens balfourii is a species of the genus Impatiens known by the common names Balfour's touch-me-not, Kashmir balsam, and poor man's orchid. It belongs to the family Balsaminaceae.


The Latin name Impatiens means "impatient" or "intolerant" and refers to the explosive dehiscence of the fruits, which burst at the slightest touch as a means of scattering the seeds. The Latin species epithet balfourii honors the Scottish botanist Isaac Bayley Balfour (1853-1922).


This is an annual herb growing 15–120 centimetres (5.9–47.2 in) in height. Its stem is glabrous, reddish, lined and very branched. It has alternately arranged, oval to lance-shaped, toothed, stalked leaves up to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long. The inflorescence is a raceme generally bearing 4 to 8 flowers. Each flower is about 2 centimetres (0.79 in) long, with one of its white sepals forming a long, thin spur, and two of its yellow-dotted lavender or pink petals extending from the mouth.


The flowers are hermaphrodite, or perfect, and are pollinated by insects, or, in the Americas, by hummingbirds. The flowering period extends from July through September. The fruits are glabrous capsules about 20 millimetres (0.79 in) long and the seeds are dispersed when the fruits burst, launching them up to 6 metres (20 ft) away.


It is native to the Himalayas, particularly Kashmir and surrounding areas, where it grows in mountains of 5,000 to 6,000 feet. It was brought back to England and many other European countries as a garden plant, and then it became popular in the San Francisco Bay Area and other parts of the United States. It can now be found growing wild as a garden escapee in Europe, on the US Pacific Coast, and in Wisconsin, where it is a restricted species because of its invasiveness.


In the wild the plant occurs along the banks of rivers, on roadsides, and in wastelands. It thrives in cool and moist areas, at an altitude of 100–600 metres (330–1,970 ft) above sea level.


BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
Hooker, J.D. (1903) in Curtis's Botanical Magazine. vol. 129 tab. 7878
Peirce, P. & D. Goldberg. Wildly Successful Plants: Northern California. Sasquatch Books. 2004. 75-77.
USDA Plants Profile
"Balfour's touch-me-not | Wisconsin DNR". dnr.wisconsin.gov. Retrieved 2021-08-14.


Impatiens noli-tangere (touch-me-not balsam; Latin impatiēns "impatient" or "not allowing", and nōlī tangere "do not touch": literally "be unwilling to touch") is an annual herbaceous plant in the family Balsaminaceae found in damp places in Europe, Asia and North America. The yellow flowers are followed by pods which forcefully explode when ripe, ejecting the seeds for some distance.
It is also called touch-me-not, yellow balsam, jewelweed, western touch-me-not or wild balsam.


Impatiens pallida (pale jewelweed, pale touch-me-not or yellow jewelweed) is a flowering plant native to Canada and the United States. It grows in moist to wet soils, generally alongside the closely related Impatiens capensis, producing flowers from midsummer through fall.


The plant can grow up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in height. The flowers are yellow, with reddish-spots on their faces, and cluster in small quantities among the upper leaves.


Like Impatiens capensis, the young shoots can be boiled (with two changes of water) as a potherb, and the seeds are also edible.
Along with other species of jewelweed or "touch-me-not", it is a traditional remedy for skin rashes.


Ipheion uniflorum is a species of flowering plant, related to the onions, so is placed in the allium subfamily (Allioideae) of the Amaryllidaceae. It is known by the common name springstar, or spring starflower. Along with all the species of the genus Ipheion, some sources place it in the genus Tristagma, but research published in 2010 suggested that this is not correct. It is native  to Argentina and Uruguay, but is widely cultivated as an ornamental and reportedly naturalized in Great Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand  and the United States.


This is a small herbaceous perennial growing from a bulb and producing flat, shiny, green, hairless, grasslike leaves up to 30 cm (12 in) long. The foliage has an onionlike scent when crushed. The stem grows up to 20 cm (8 in) tall and bears a solitary showy flower in spring (hence the Latin name uniflorum - "single flower"). Each honey-scented, star-shaped flower has six pointed lobes up to 3 centimeters long in shades of very pale to deep purple-blue.


Ipheion uniflorum has been grown in the UK since 1820, when bulbs collected from near Buenos Aires arrived in the country. It is recommended for growing in a well-drained position outside or as long-flowering pot plant in an unheated greenhouse. Various named forms are in cultivation, some of which may be hybrids. 'Wisley Blue' is a clear lilac blue; 'Froyle Mill' is a deeper violet blue; 'Album' is white. The cultivar 'Alberto Castillo', also white, has larger flowers and was collected in the 1980s by Alberto Castillo, the owner of Ezeiza Botanical Garden, from an abandoned Buenos Aires garden. In the USA, the species is stated to be hardy to USDA Zone 5, and is recommended for massing in borders, alpine gardens and other areas, or it can be naturalized in lawns.
The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-
’Alberto Castillo’
'Froyle Mill'
'Rolf Fiedler'
'Wisley Blue'


The scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) is a butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae. It is also called the sail swallowtail or pear-tree swallowtail.


Subspecies include:
Iphiclides podalirius podalirius (Central and Southern Europe)
Iphiclides podalirius feisthamelii (North Africa, Spain and southwest France)
Iphiclides podalirius persica Verity, 1911
Iphiclides podalirius virgatus (Butler, 1865)
Iphiclides podalirius feisthamelii is sometimes treated as a valid species, Iphiclides feisthamelii.


These swallowtail butterflies inhabit gardens, towns as well as the countryside, in fields and open woodlands. They are found in places with sloe thickets and particularly orchards. In the Alps they can be found up to altitudes of 2000 m, but usually they prefer foothills and lower levels.
The presence of Iphiclides podalirius in the floodplain of the Morava River in the Slovak Republic have been found to be a good indicator of relatively well preserved xerothermic grassland habitats with forest-steppe vegetation, which have no cutting history.


In some years the scarce swallowtail is quite abundant. The scarce swallowtail is getting rarer as blackthorn bushes are being cleared. The butterfly is now protected by law in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Russia, Ukraine and Poland. It is considered rare and endangered and protected in some provinces of Austria and of indeterminate status throughout Europe. In Armenia the species demonstrates stable population trend and is evaluated as Least Concern. Though referred by some authorities to be of status "vulnerable", it is however unlisted in the IUCN Red List.


Iphiclides podalirius has a wingspan of 60–80 millimetres (2.4–3.1 in) in males, of 62–90 millimetres (2.4–3.5 in) in females. It is a very large distinctive butterfly. The background color of the wings is creamy white or pale yellow. On the front wings there are six tiger stripes and wedge-shaped markings. At the outer edge of the hind wings there are blue crescent markings, with an oblong, orange spot at the back corner and a relatively long tail.
This species is rather similar to Papilio machaon, Papilio hospiton, Papilio alexanor and Protographium marcellus.


Adults of Iphiclides podalirius fly from March to October. There are one, two, or three generations a year. Caterpillars are polyphagous feeding on Crataegus (Finland), Crataegus monogyna (Palaearctic), Malus pumila and Malus domestica (Palaearctic), Prunus (Finland, Palaearctic), Prunus armeniaca (Palaearctic, Spain), Prunus avium (Palaearctic, Spain) Prunus cerasus (Palaearctic, Russia), Prunus domestica (Palaearctic), Prunus dulcis (Palaearctic, Spain), Prunus padus (Palaearctic), Prunus persica (Palaearctic), Prunus spinosa (Palaearctic), Pyrus (Palaearctic) and Sorbus aucuparia (Palaearctic).
The caterpillars spin little pads on leaves and grip them firmly. The newly hatched caterpillar is dark in colour with two smaller and two bigger greenish patches on the dorsal side; later they are greenish with yellowish dorsal and side stripes. The summer chrysalids are green as a rule, the hibernating ones are brown. A number of hibernating chrysalids fall prey to various enemies. The caterpillars of the scarce swallowtail have been noted to leave silk trails from the permanent resting sites to feeding sites. This has been seen in both solitary and territorial larvae with larvae having the ability to discern their trails from those of others.
Research on pupae of Iphiclides podalirius in Spain indicates that the pupae manifest in two colours, green and brown, for the purpose of camouflage. The green pupae develop on host plants and develop directly while brown pupae enter into diapause in the leaf litter. Pupating larvae tend to form green pupae before August while after August they tend to form brown pupae. Duration of the photophase or light period appears to be the mechanism which dictates the path of development of the pupa. The results suggest that the green pupa develop on food plants to avoid predation by small mammals and visual avian predators while the brown pupa develop on leaf litter to avoid avian predators.


Ipomoea alba, sometimes called the tropical white morning-glory or moonflower or moon vine, is a species of night-blooming morning glory, native to tropical and subtropical regions of North and South America, from  Argentina to northern Mexico, Arizona, Florida and the West Indies. Though formerly classified as genus Calonyction, species aculeatum, it is now properly assigned to genus Ipomoea, subgenus Quamoclit, section Calonyction.


It is a perennial, herbaceous liana growing to a height of 5–30 m tall with twining stems. The leaves are entire or three-lobed, 5–15 cm long, with a 5–20 cm long stem. The flowers are fragrant, white or pink, and large, 8–14 cm diameter. The flowers open quickly in the evening and last through the night, remaining open until touched by the morning dew. On overcast days, the blossoms may remain open for longer.  The flowers also tend to remain open longer during cool temperatures - which may also cause the segments to snag or tear as they open.
The name moonflower derives from their blooming in the evening and their being round in shape like a full moon.


The Mesoamerican civilizations used the Ipomoea alba morning glory to convert the latex from the Castilla elastica tree to produce bouncing rubber balls. The sulfur in this morning glory served to cross-link the rubber, a process predating Charles Goodyear's discovery of vulcanization by at least 3,000 years.


The species is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for its flowers. In areas too cold for winter survival, it can be grown as an annual plant. Since it is of tropical origin, it flowers best under a summer short day photoperiod.  Though it can be successfully flowered in the north, its flowering is impaired by excessively long summer days.  Thus, it often does not set buds and bloom until early autumn when daylight length is once again near 12 hours.  Propagation is usually by seed. The seed resembles a small, brownish nut, and should be nicked with a file and then soaked overnight before planting. In some areas, it is an invasive species which can cause problems in agricultural settings.


Ipomoea carnea, the pink morning glory, is a species of morning glory that grows as a bush. This flowering plant has heart-shaped leaves that are a rich green and 6–9 inches (15–23 cm) long. It can be easily grown from seeds. These seeds are toxic and it can be hazardous to cattle; the toxicity is related to the swainsonine produced by its endophytes, and to bioaccumulation of selenium in the leaves but mostly in the seeds.
The stem of I. carnea can be used for making paper. The plant is also of medicinal value.  It contains a component identical to marsilin, a sedative and anticonvulsant.  A glycosidic saponin has also been purified from I. carnea with anticarcinogenic and oxytoxic properties.
One selection of I. carnea, 'Inducer', has been used as a rootstock for inducing flowering of sweetpotato cultivars which otherwise prove reticent to produce flowers.
Another common name is "bush morning glory", but particularly in temperate North America, that usually refers to I. leptophylla.
In Brazil, I. carnea (in addition to other common names) is known as canudo-de-pito, literally "pipe-cane", as its hollow stems were used to make tubes for tobacco pipes. It thus became the namesake of Canudos, a religious community in the sertão of Bahia, over which the War of Canudos was fought 1893–1897.


Ipomoea coccinea is a flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae known by several common names including red morning glory, redstar and (ambiguously) Mexican morning glory.
It was first described by Linnaeus in 1753.


Red morning glories are fast growing, twisting climbing flowering vines that attract butterflies. The leaves are heart-shaped at the base, and commonly are three-lobed. They grow up to be about 50–100 mm (2–4 in) long and about half as wide. The vines can reach 3 m (10 ft) or more in length. The flowers are dull red with an orange throat. Red morning glory flowers are borne in clusters of a half dozen.
The species name coccinea is Latin for "scarlet", and refers to the color of the flowers.


Ipomoea coccinea is native to tropical America and have been introduced in much of the US. They can be found in disturbed areas along roads, stream banks, fence rows, old fields and other waste areas.


Ipomoea coccinea is often confused with Ipomoea quamoclit since the flowers are similar. However, the leaves of the two species are very different. Ipomoea quamoclit has leaves that are more divided, resembling a pine bough, and look more like a cypress vine. Ipomoea coccinea has a red-orange color while I. hederifolia has a darker red colour. Also, they have more of a pinched shaped seed. Their leaves are lobed but not separated into leaflets. There is one leaf per node along the stem; the edge of the leaf blade depends, some have teeth and lobes.


These flowers bear capsular fruits, with pedicels that are reflexed below the fruit but erect in the flower. The fruits are 6–7 mm across. Mature fruits are more spherical in shape and have a light brown colour and can contain up to 4 seeds. Seeds are more a wedge-shaped, about 3–4 mm long; this can range from dark brown to black. Every year about 1–4 seeds per fruit are most likely disperse. The capsule will appear brittle, showing that it will shatter upon contact with the ground, releasing the seeds.


Red morning glory is an annual plant, so it can be grown as a climber over a fence to make a summertime screen and attract butterflies.
Ipomoea × multifida is a hybrid between I. quamoclit (the cypress vine) and I. coccinea. The allotetraploid of this hybrid is Ipomoea sloteri. Both are known as cardinal climber.


The plant flowers between the months of November and January and fruits in January and February, in central India. The plant is cultivated in many parts of India as an ornamental plant but is also use as a medicinal property; they use the roots to induce sneezing.


Ipomoea cordatotriloba is a species of morning glory native to the southeastern United States, Mexico, and South America. Its common names include tievine and cotton morning glory.
There are three varieties:
I. cordatotriloba var. australis
I. cordatotriloba var. cordatotriloba – sharppod morning glory
I. cordatotriloba var. torreyana – Torrey's tievine


Ipomoea hederacea, the ivy-leaved morning glory, is a flowering plant in the bindweed family. The species is native to tropical parts of the Americas, and has more recently been introduced to North America. It now occurs there from Arizona to Florida and north to Ontario and North Dakota. Like most members of the family, it is a climbing vine with alternate leaves on twining stems. The flowers are blue to rose-purple with a white inner throat and emerge in summer and continue until late fall. The leaves are typically three-lobed, but sometimes may be five-lobed or entire. Flowers occur in clusters of one to three and are 2.5-4.5 cm long and wide. The sepals taper to long, recurved tips and measure 12–24 mm long. The species shares some features with the close relative Ipomoea purpurea.


The morning glories are little used by white-tailed deer.  The large seeds are taken infrequently by northern bobwhite and seed-eating songbirds. Flowers are used by some of the larger butterflies such as swallowtails and fritillaries and the ruby-throated hummingbird.
Most of the pollinations of Ipomoea hederacea are achieved by self-pollination, with a selfing rate of 93% observed in one population.
Ipomoea hederacea has been studied as a target of character displacement. When it co-occurs with Ipomoea purpurea, natural selection favors individuals of I. hederacea with anthers that are more tightly clustered around the stigma. This is to presumably reduce pollinations of I. hederacea by I. purpurea, which, should they occur, results in sterile seeds, wasting valuable resources of the parent plant and reducing fitness. This fitness reduction is not reciprocal, however, as I. hederacea pollen does not germinate on I. purpurea stigmas, thus giving the latter species a potential advantage competitively. This selective pressure leads the anthers to form a barrier over the stigma of I. hederacea to protect from pollen from other species making contact, but possibly increasing self-pollination, as well. When I. hederacea occurs by itself, however, no such selective pressure is evident and anther barriers are looser and less consistent.


Ipomoea hederifolia is a species of herbaceous annual vine native to the Americas. It was first described by Linnaeus in 1759.
It is commonly known as scarlet morning glory, scarlet creeper, star ipomoea, trompillo or ivy-leaved morning glory (which otherwise refers to I. hederacea).


Ipomoea indica is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, known by several common names, including blue morning glory, oceanblue morning glory, koali awa, and blue dawn flower. It bears heart-shaped or 3-lobed leaves and purple or blue funnel-shaped flowers 6–8 cm (2–3 in) in diameter, from spring to autumn. The flowers produced by the plant are hermaphroditic. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
The plant is grown as an ornamental for its attractive flowers, but it is invasive in many regions of the world and is specifically listed on New Zealand's Biosecurity Act 1993.


The Latin specific epithet indica means from India, or the East Indies or China. In this case, the name likely refers to the West Indies, as I. indica is native to the New World.


Ipomoea indica is a vigorous, long-lived, tender perennial vine native to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate habitats throughout the world. They can most commonly be found in disturbed forests, forest edges, secondary woodland, suburban gullies, and along roadsides and waterways. The plant climbs well over other plants, walls and slopes as growing on the bottom. Its climbing habit allows it to compete with trees and shrubs successfully. It is a twisting, occasionally lying, herbaceous plant which is more or less densely hairy on the axial parts with backward-looking trichomes. The stems can grow 3 to 6 cm long and sometimes have roots at the nodes.
The leaves are petiolate with 2 to 18 cm long petioles. The leaf blade is egg-shaped or round, 5 to 15 cm long and 3.5 to 14 cm wide. The underside is densely hairy with short, soft trichomes, the top is more or less sparsely hairy. The base is heart-shaped, the leaf margin is entire or three-lobed, the tip is pointed or sharply pointed.
The crown is funnel-shaped, 5 to 8 cm long, glabrous, bright blue or bluish purple, with age they become reddish purple or red. The centre of the crown is a little paler.
I. indica is a long-lived plant that can live up to 25 years.


The inflorescences are dense, umbelliform cymes from a few flowers. The inflorescence stems are 4 to 20 cm long. The bracts are linear or sometimes lanceolate. The flower stems are 2 to 5 (rarely up to 8 mm) long. The sepals are almost uniform, 1.4 to 2.2 cm long and slowly sharpened linearly. They are hairless to close-fitting, the outer three sepals are lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, and the inner two are narrowly lanceolate. The stamens and the stamp do not protrude beyond the crown. The ovary is hairless. The scar is three-lobed. The flowers change colour, where they start out as bright blue early in the morning, shifting to a darker shade of blue in midday, then to a lavender blue and finally to a deep pink at the end of the day.
The fruits are more or less spherical capsules with a diameter of 1 to 1.3 cm. The seeds are about 5 mm in size and are dispersed via rain, wind, human activity, gravity, and waterways.
Flowering and fruiting are dependent on location. Some countries, such as Costa Rica and Nicaragua, observe year round flowering and fruiting while other countries like South Africa observe fruiting and flowering that is constrained to specific months.


Ipomoea is a large and diverse genus containing between 600-1,000 species, with 820 being recognized by the Catalogue of Life. Although the genus as a whole is not monophyletic, I. indica belongs to a well-supported clade of the Pharbitis section in the Quamoclit subgenus. A 2014 phylogenetic study on 36 members of the Quamoclit subgenus (30% of the species). The results suggest I. indica's closest living relatives to be the ivy-leaved and picotee morning glories.


Its exact native distribution is unclear due to it being widely cultivated throughout the tropics of Eurasia, Africa and America, but it is currently thought by most authorities to be native to the Neotropics, from Florida in the United States south to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean and south to South America. It is also considered native to several Pacific islands, including Palau, the Hawaiian Archipelago (where its native Hawaiian name is Koali ‘awa), French Polynesia, and Micronesia.
However, other authorities consider it to be an introduced and/or invasive species in the United States, Mexico, and parts of its Caribbean and Pacific range.


Ipomoea indica has become a noxious weed and invasive plant species in Australia, California, China, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Italy, Kenya,  Mexico, Montenegro, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. In New Zealand, it is classed as an unwanted organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993 and it is therefore illegal to sell, propagate and distribute the plant. It is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord for New Zealand.
When growing in optimal conditions, the plant is able to spread via seeds, stolons, and stem fragments. I. indica is capable of producing a very large amounts of seeds for dispersal. These seeds are easily germinated, giving the plant the ability to rapidly invade and colonize new land. It can grow over pre-existing trees, shrubs, and other plant species. I. indica successfully outcompetes many native plants for substrates, nutrients, sunlight and water. The stolons of blue morning glory create a thick mat over ground plants, reducing the light available for those plants. The stolons of blue morning glory are also capable of growing at a rapid pace, adding to the plant's succession. Each part can grow as a separate plant if snapped during the process of attempted removal.
The only natural enemy of I. indica is the oomycete plant Albugo ipomoeae-panduratae, which have shown instances of infecting the plant. Its lack of natural enemies is another reason I. indica is very successful and adds to its invasive abilities.


Blue morning glory is a popular species widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for its colourful flowers. It has spread throughout the tropics and subtropics of the Old World although those regions are not part of its native range. As it does not tolerate temperatures below 7 °C (45 °F), in temperate regions it is grown under glass. It likes very light and nutrient-rich soil, which should be kept evenly moist.


Ipomoea lacunosa, the whitestar, white morning-glory or pitted morning-glory, is a species that belongs to the genus Ipomoea. In this genus most members are commonly referred to as "morning glories". The name for the genus, Ipomoea, has root in the Greek words ips and homoios, which translates to worm-like. This is a reference to the plant's vine-like growth. Lacunosa comes from a Latin word meaning air spaces, correlating with the venation of the leaves. Ipomoea lacunosa is native to the United States and grows annually. The flowers of this species are usually white and smaller than most other morning glories.


Since Ipomoea lacunosa is native to the United States, the plant can be found in multiple areas throughout the country. Ipomoea lacunosa occurs in almost every state on the east coast, as well as some states in the Midwest, and California. The states that the whitestar potato can be found in are as follows: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Montana, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. This species was also introduced to Canada and lives successfully in the province of Ontario. Although this plant grows rapidly, its tendency to be invasive is rather small in comparison to other members of the genus.


Ipomoea lacunosa occurs in a variety of habitat types, including disturbed areas, It grows on prairie, riverbanks, lakeshores, and roadsides, and in cultivated and abandoned fields and meadows.
Insects associated with the plant include bees such as bumblebees, Melitoma taurea, Peponapis pruinosa, and Cemolobus ipomoea. The larvae of the plume moth Emmelina monodictyla feeds on the foliage, and it is host to several tortoise beetles.


The stem of I. lacunosa is a slightly hairy (white hairs), twisting, climbing and twining vine with a small taproot. It can reach 2 meters in length. I. lacunose depends on its vining habit for dispersal. The roots are fibrous and have a small taproot. In a mature plant, the leaves take on a cordate shape, with a pointed tip, although sometimes it may have 3 deep lobes. The leaves of a less mature plant are usually ovate. They are arranged alternately on the stem of the plant. The slender petioles are usually at least 3 centimeters long and have a slight adaxial groove. The leaves themselves can be up to 8 cm wide and 9.4 cm long. The margin of the leaf is typically purple and smooth. The upperside of the leaf may have a small amount of white hairs.


The stalks of the plant that bears flowers is rough and usually has 1-3 flowers. The funnel-shaped flowers of the plant are normally white, but on rare occasion the flowers can be light purple or pink. The five petals are joined (sympetalous) or shallowly lobed and are approximately 2.5 cm long. The sepals are light green, lanceolate, take on a leathery texture and can be up to 11.5 mm long. The anthers are a pinkish-purple and the filaments are white. The ovary is superior, cone-like in shape, and green. There is a single white stigma and style. There are five stamen. The flowers have no perceptible or obvious scent. There are large seed capsules in the flower that are spherical in shape and hairy. The seeds themselves are irregularly oblong, shiny, and brown or black.
Fruit is seen in the form of a capsule that is slightly flattened or rounded in shape, and can be up to 10mm wide.


Ipomoea lacunosa is one of the species of Ipomoea that is used on a small scale by humans. The whitestar potato that it produces is traditionally consumed by a number of Native American tribes like the Chiricahua Apaches.
Other animals usually avoid eating this plant due to the high alkaloid content which makes it unpalatable. In some cases the amount of alkaloid in the plant can make it toxic. However certain caterpillars are capable of digesting the plant.


Ipomoea obscura, the obscure morning glory or small white morning glory, is a species of the genus Ipomoea. It is native to parts of Africa, Asia, and certain Pacific Islands, and it is present in other areas as an introduced species.
The seed of this plant is toxic if ingested; however, the leaves can be cooked and eaten.


Ipomoea pes-caprae, also known as bayhops, bay-hops, beach morning glory or goat's foot, is a common pantropical creeping vine belonging to the family Convolvulaceae. It grows on the upper parts of beaches and endures salted air.   It is one of the most common and most widely distributed salt tolerant plants and provides one of the best known examples of oceanic dispersal. Its seeds float and are unaffected by salt water.
Originally described by Linnaeus, it was placed in its current genus by Robert Brown in 1818.


Ipomoea pes-caprae is a prostrate perennial, often covering large areas; stems long-trailing often several metres in length, rooting at the nodes, glabrous.  It has pink, fused petals with a darker centre. The fruit is a capsule containing 4 hairy seeds that float in water.


This species can be found on the sandy shores of the tropical Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. A similar species, Ipomoea imperati, with white flowers, has an even wider distribution on the world's beaches. I. pes-caprae is common on the sand dunes of Australia's upper north coast of New South Wales, and can also be found along the entire Queensland coastline.
Goat's Foot is a primary sand stabilizer, being one of the first plants to colonise dunes. It grows on almost all parts of dunes but is usually found on the seaward slopes, sending long runners down towards the toe of the dune. The sprawling runners spread out from the woody rootstock, but the large two-lobed leaves are sparse and a dense cover on the sand is rarely achieved except in protected situations. This plant grows in association with sand Spinifex grass and is a useful sand binder, thriving under conditions of sandblast and salt spray.
Community species: Ipomoea pes-caprae has been observed in community situations, studied for their endurance of difficult growing conditions (on dunes) with some other tough species.
Hydrocotyle bonariensis
Senecio crassiflorus
Juncus acutus
Together with Melanthera biflora, Portulaca oleracea and Digitaria ciliaris, Ipomoea pes-caprae is usually one of the first species colonizing degraded or altered environments in tropical zones of the planet.


In Australia, it is a commonly used aboriginal medicine used as poultice for sting ray and stone fish stings.
In Brazil, this plant – namely the subspecies brasiliensis – is known as salsa-da-praia in folk medicine, and is used to treat inflammation and gastrointestinal disorders.
In the Philippines, the plant is known locally as Bagasua and is used to treat rheumatism, colic, oedema, whitlow, and piles.


I. pes-caprae comes from the Latin 'pes' for foot and 'caprae' for goat and refers to the resemblance of the outline of the leaf to the footprint of a goat.


Ipomoea purpurea, the common morning-glory, tall morning-glory, or purple morning glory, is a species in the genus Ipomoea, native to Mexico and Central America.


Like all morning glories, the plant entwines itself around structures, growing to a height of 2–3 m (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in) tall. The leaves are heart-shaped and the stems are covered with brown hairs. The flowers are trumpet-shaped, predominantly blue to purple or white, and 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) in diameter.


The plant is predisposed to moist and rich soil, but can be found growing in a wide array of soil types. It is naturalized throughout warm temperate and subtropical regions of the world. Although it is often considered a noxious weed, I. purpurea is also grown for its attractive purple and white flowers, and has many cultivars. Common cultivars include I. purpurea 'Crimson Rambler' (red-violet blossoms with white throats), 'Grandpa Ott's', 'Kniola's Black Knight', 'Star of Yelta' (blossoms in varying shades of deep purple with white or pale pink throats), and 'Milky Way' (white corolla with mauve accents).


The triangular seeds have some history of use as a psychedelic; they, like I. tricolor, may contain LSA. Effects are reported to be somewhat similar to those of LSD.


Acylated cyanidin glycosides can be isolated from violet-blue flowers of I. purpurea. These anthocyanins were all based on cyanidin 3-sophoroside-5-glucoside, acylated with caffeic acid and/or p-coumaric acid.
Acylated pelargonidin glycosides can be isolated from the red-purple flowers of I. purpurea. The acylated anthocyanins were all based on pelargonidin 3-sophoroside-5-glucoside, acylated with caffeic acid and/or glucosylcaffeic acid.


Ipomoea quamoclit, commonly known as cypress vine, cypress vine morning glory, cardinal creeper, cardinal vine, star glory, star of Bethlehem or hummingbird vine, is a species of vine in the family Convolvulaceae native to tropical regions of the New World and naturalized elsewhere in the tropics.


I. quamoclit is a herbaceous, twining vine growing up to 3–10 feet (0.91–3.05 m) tall. The leaves are 1–4 inches (25–102 mm) long, deeply lobed (nearly pinnate), with 9-19 lobes on each side of the leaf. The flowers are 1–2 inches (25–51 mm) long and 1 inch (25 mm) in diameter, trumpet-shaped with five points, and can be red, pink or white.


This species was first formally named by Carl Linnaeus in his seminal work Species plantarum (1753), but without any real detail as the plant was already well-known in most parts of the world. Curiously, he stated its origin as, simply, "Habitat in India", while at the same time referencing earlier describers of the plant who noted its origin as Central America.


I. quamoclit has various names throughout India. In southern India, it is called mayil manikkam in Tamil: மயில் மாணிக்கம். In Malayalam, it is called ākāśamulla. In Assamese it is known as Kunjalata (কুঞ্জলতা), while in the Marathi language it is known as Ganesh Vel. In Bangladesh, it has the vernacular names Tarulata,  Kamalata, Kunjalata and Getphul. In Urdu-speaking areas, particularly around the Awadh region, it is known as Ishq Pecha (इश्क़ पेंचा).
In Telugu, it is called 'Kasiratnam'. In Mizo, it is called 'Rimenhawih'. In Jamaica, it is called 'Indian creeper'. In Nepal, it is known as “Jayanti Phool”(जयन्ती फूल).


This plant is native to northern South America north to Mexico but has been widely distributed throughout the world since Europeans first began to explore the Americas, initially becoming popular as a medicinal plant and later as an ornamental. It has become naturalised in many tropical areas and is considered an invasive weed in some.


It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant throughout the tropics, and also outside of tropical regions, where it is grown as an annual plant only, not surviving temperate zone winters. In some tropical areas, it has become naturalized.
It flowers in summer and fall. Its seeds are sown in rainy season. It blooms continuously from August to December in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and February to June in temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere.
Seedlings must always be kept moist. They require full sun for good growth. This vine is one of the best plants for attracting hummingbirds, and is a vigorous grower.  In warmer climates, this plant can be extremely invasive.
It doesn't require any fertilizer and gives blooms without any care. It can be grown anywhere... In containers along with other plants, it can be grown in small containers, or in big containers it thrives well in small spaces and big spaces alike.
Ipomoea × multifida is a hybrid between I. quamoclit (the cypress vine) and I. coccinea. The allotetraploid of this hybrid is Ipomoea sloteri. Both are known as cardinal climber.


Ipomoea triloba is a species of Ipomoea morning glory known by several common names, including littlebell and Aiea morning glory. It is native to the tropical Americas, but it is widespread in warm areas of the world, where it is an introduced species and often a noxious weed. This is a fast-growing, vining, annual herb producing long, thin stems with ivy-like, petioled, heart-shaped leaves 2.5–6 centimetres (0.98–2.36 in) long. The leaves sometimes, but not always, have three lobes. The vines produce tubular bell-shaped flowers, each about two centimeters long. They are quite variable in color, in shades of pink, red or lavender, with or without white markings.


Ipomopsis aggregata is a species of biennial flowering plant in the phlox family (Polemoniaceae), commonly known as scarlet trumpet, scarlet gilia, or skyrocket because of its scarlet red flowers with lobes curving back as if blown back by rocketing through the air.


Ipomopsis aggregata has characteristic red, trumpet-shaped flowers and basal leaves stemming from a single erect stem. Depending on elevation, height can range from 12 inches, in Rocky Mountain alpine areas, to over 5 feet, in areas of southern Texas. Trumpet flowers can range from white, red, orange-red, and pink. Pink flowers are especially common in high mesa areas of Colorado, such as the Flat Tops, Grand Mesa, or the Uncompahgre Plateau. Yellow flowers have been reported for plant but are extremely rare. Fernlike leaves are low to the ground, helping encourage warmth in colder areas, and have silver specks and a fine white pubescence. A well known delicacy in nature, Ipomopsis aggregata is well adapted to herbivory, as it can regrow multiple flowering stalks once lost. Although herbivory initially reduces seed and fruit count of the plant, intermediate herbivory and its stimulating factors could lead to the plant growing larger over time. Elk and mule deer are common herbivores on Ipomopsis aggregata.
In its first year, the plant appears as a group of leaves, which collect energy into the taproot, from which it rapidly grows in its second year.


Synonyms include:
Cantua aggregata  Pursh
Gilia aggregata  (Pursh) Spreng.


Patuletin glycosides can be found in I. aggregata as well as eupalitin and eupatolitin.


Since its discovery in 1814 by Frederick Pursch, the plant has undergone many name modifications. The current scientific name of "Ipomopsis", Latin for "similar to Ipomoea" or morning glories, refers to its similarities between the morning glories' similar red tubular flowers. "Aggregata", "brought together" in Latin refers to its petal growing pattern. Common names include scarlet gilia, scarlet trumpet, and skyrocket. The potent smell from glands within its basal leaf formations grant it the name skunk flower. In some areas it is also called honeysuckle, owing to the shape of the flower and the droplet of nectar that can be enjoyed by picking off the flower and sucking it out of the basal end. The common name of Gilia (once a component of its scientific name) is pronounced "Jee-lee-uh", an Italian pronunciation, after its original namesake, Italian scientist and clergyman Filippo Luigi Gilii.


Ipomopsis aggregata is characterized  by the USDA as a native species for the continental United States and Canada.It is native to western North America, growing mainly in the central to western regions and ranging from as far north as British Columbia to Mexico.


Ipomopsis aggregata is pollinated most commonly by long-tongued moths and hummingbirds, although others can be seen. Basal leaves overwinter, even in subalpine areas of the Rocky Mountains. The plant blooms in late spring to early summer, and into fall if weather conditions are favorable. Optimal growing conditions include little water, part shade, and sandy soil. Although defined as hermaphroditic, Ipomopsis aggregata has shown sex allocation in flowering months, with phenotypic sex  reaching a proportion of 0.77 female components to male.


The plant is currently being used to better understand pollination factors. Researchers used fluorescent particles on flowers to create pollen analogs to track pollinating hummingbirds. This ultimately gains insight into cross pollination techniques carried out by pollinating bodies. Further, it is a model for pollinator-mediated selection and spatial genetic patterns.


Some Plateau Indian tribes boiled it as a drink for kidney health.


Ipomopsis rubra is a flowering plant of the phlox family native to North America from the state of Texas to the province of Ontario, commonly known as standing cypress, scarlet gilia, Texas plume, flame flower, and indian spur. This classification is synonymous with Gilia rubra. This flower is noteworthy for its bright, upturned flowers.


Ipomosis rubra has very short, filament leaves attached to long stems, upwards of five feet long in some cases. Ipomosis rubra flowers are about an inch long with a number of small stamen inside. The tubular flowers grow in spears and all point upwards. The flowers have small yellow dots inside, and have five lobed petals. Ipomosis rubra also has a very long taproot to survive droughts.


This flower has found use in gardens as a hummingbird attractant for its hardy qualities and self-seeding nature. Ipomosis rubra is also attractive for low water requirements.


The comb-crested jacana (Irediparra gallinacea), also known as the lotusbird or lilytrotter, is the only species of jacana in the genus Irediparra.  Like other jacana species, it is adapted to the floating vegetation of tropical freshwater wetlands.


This species is unmistakable.  It has a black crown and hindneck with a fleshy red wattle covering the forehead and forecrown, contrasting with a white face and throat. The comb is pinker in breeding adults, more orange when not breeding. There is a broad black band on the lower breast with white belly.  The underwing and flight feathers, which show most prominently in flight, are black.  Back and upperwing mainly grey-brown with black primary coverts, rump and tail.  The long legs with extremely long toes trail in flight.  The male is slightly smaller than the female and measures 20–22 cm (7.9–8.7 in) in length and weighs 68–84 g (2.4–3.0 oz). The female measures 24–27 cm (9.4–10.6 in) in length and weighs 120–150 g (4.2–5.3 oz). The wingspan ranges from 39 to 46 cm (15 to 18 in).


The bird occurs in south-eastern Borneo, the southern Philippines, Sulawesi, Moluccas, Lesser Sunda Islands, north and south-east New Guinea, New Britain (Lake Lalili), and northern and eastern Australia. Its habitat are large freshwater wetlands, swamps and lakes with abundant floating vegetation, such as water-lilies or water hyacinth, forming a mat on the water surface which it is able to walk on. Although the species is rare and localised it is not globally threatened.


The comb-crested jacana walks slowly and deliberately. It often congregates in flocks. When disturbed, it flies low over water and lands again on open vegetation.


The comb-crested jacana is polyandrous.  It builds a flimsy nest on floating or emergent vegetation, in which the female lays four lustrous, pale brown eggs covered by black markings. Only males incubate. The young hatch well-developed and soon leave the nest.


It eats seeds and aquatic insects gleaned from floating vegetation on the water surface.


The meat ant (Iridomyrmex purpureus), also known as the gravel ant or southern meat ant, is a species of ant endemic to Australia. A member of the genus Iridomyrmex in the subfamily Dolichoderinae, it was described by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858. The meat ant is associated with many common names due to its appearance, nest-building behaviour and abundance, of which its specific name, purpureus, refers to its coloured appearance. It is among the best-known species of ant found throughout Australia; it occurs in almost all states and territories except for Tasmania. Its enormous distribution, aggression and ecological importance have made this ant a dominant species.
The meat ant is monomorphic (occurs in a particular form), although there is evidence that certain populations can be polymorphic. It is characterised by its dark-bluish body and red head. It is a medium to large species, measuring 6–12 mm (0.24–0.47 in). The workers and males are approximately the same sizes at 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) and 8 mm (0.31 in), respectively. The queens are the largest and appear mostly black, measuring 12.7 mm (0.50 in). The iridescence in workers ranges from green or blue to plain green and purple, varying in different body parts and castes. Meat ants inhabit open and warm areas in large, oval-shaped mounds that are accompanied by many entrance holes. The nest area is always cleared of vegetation and covered with materials including gravel, pebbles and dead vegetation. They are also polydomous, where a colony may be established in a series of satellite nests connected by well-defined paths and trails. Satellite nests are constructed away from the main nest and nearby areas with valuable food sources so workers can exploit them.
Queens mate with a single male and colonies may have more than one queen until the workers arrive, where they both exhibit antagonism. It takes around one or two months for an individual egg to develop into an adult. Colonies range in size, varying between 11,000 individuals to over 300,000. The meat ant is a diurnal species (active throughout most of the day), especially when it is warm. It forages on trees and collects sweet substances such as honeydew and nectar, and also captures insects or collects the remains of animals. A number of predators eat these ants, including the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), numerous species of birds, blind snakes and spiders. This species is also a competitor of the banded sugar ant (Camponotus consobrinus). Meat ants establish territorial borders with neighbouring colonies and solve disputes through ritualised fighting.
Meat ants play an important role in both the environment and for humans. A single nest is capable of dispersing over 300,000 plant seeds; moreover, meat ants have formed symbiotic relationships with many insects. This ant may be used as a form of pest control to kill the cane toad, an invasive species. They can also help farmers to remove animal carcasses by consuming and reducing them to bones in a matter of weeks. Despite this, meat ants are sometimes pests around urban areas and eradicating them is difficult.


The meat ant was first described in 1858 by British entomologist Frederick Smith in his Catalogue of Hymenopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum part VI, under the binomial name Formica purpurea from a holotype worker ant he collected in Melbourne, Victoria. The type material is currently housed in the Natural History Museum, London. In 1862, Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr erected the genus Iridomyrmex, and reclassified the meat ant as a member of Iridomyrmex rather than the genus Formica. The ant was named Iridomyrmex purpurea in 1862. Mayr renamed the ant as Iridomyrmex purpureus one year after. I. purpureus was later classified as a synonym of Iridomyrmex detectus, and this taxon was designated as the type species of Iridomyrmex in 1903.
In 1993, I. detectus was synonymised with I. purpureus and grouped into the I. purpureus species complex. I. detectus was described as a separate species by Smith the same year as I. purpureus from two syntype queens he collected from the Hunter River in New South Wales. Although the name I. purpureus was used by many authors, Karl Wilhelm von Dalla Torre reused I. detectus and this was adopted by several authors, replacing I. purpureus. By the 1960s I. purpureus once again became preferred over I. detectus. While the two names were described in the same year and publication, the name I. purpureus is the valid name for the species in accordance with the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Entomologist B.T. Lowne was the first person to revise I. purpureus and I. detectus, and he synonymised the two species.
Several synonyms have either been classified as a separate species from the meat ant or even a subspecies. Iridomyrmex purpureus sanguineus and I. p. viridiaeneus were classified as subspecies in 1974, previously being recognised as two species. I. detectus castrae was originally described as a variant of the meat ant in 1925 (as I. d. var. castrae), but the taxon was reclassified as a subspecies in 1985; subsequently, a 1993 revision reclassified I. p. sanguineus and I. p. viridiaeneus at species level while I. d. castrae was synonymised, based on morphological examinations of collected material.
Camponotus horni, Formica smithii and Liometopum aeneum were described as three distinct species in three different ant genera, but these classifications were short-lived, as scientists discovered that these taxa were all identical, and subsequently synonymised them with the meat ant. Camponotus horni was described by English entomologist William Forsell Kirby in 1896 from worker and queen syntypes he collected at Palm Creek in the Northern Territory. In 1930, Australian entomologist John S. Clark reviewed these specimens and synonymised the taxon with the meat ant. However, the queen was later found to be distinct from the workers and C. horni was redescribed as a species. The information provided by Clark makes it sufficient to retain the validity of the name, making Clark the new author of C. horni. Due to the uncertain taxonomic status of Clark's C. horni, a proposal to rename the species cannot be carried through. Clark's C. horni is currently a junior homonym for Kirby's C. horni.
One synonym, Iridomyrmex greensladei, was described as a separate species from the meat ant based on the anatomical differences of its head and pronotum (the dorsal portion of the prothorax's exoskeletal plates), which are the same colour as its mesosoma. In the meat ant, the head and pronotum are usually lighter than the mesosoma. American entomologist Steve Shattuck notes that the two ants are non-sympatric (they exist in the same geographic area and regularly encounter each other), and supporting evidence to separate them as two distinct species emerged when the enzymes esterase and amylase were examined and the results show that they had different amylase allele.
These examinations did not take any account of any distinction in colour between populations previously known as I. greensladei and I. purpureus. For example, colonies residing in Western Australia may have lighter heads whereas those living in the eastern states have darker heads. An unpublished study examining the mitochondrial DNA did not find any distinction between eastern and western populations of I. greensladei and I. purpureus. Additional evidence suggests that the populations found in the east and west are the same species.
Despite this evidence, there are several problems: forms intended to be I. greensladei were found in the Yorke Peninsula by a 1987 study, which noted that while the ants were morphologically indistinguishable from both I. greensladei and I. purpureus populations, their nests only contained a single nest hole (whereas I. purpureus nests have many). Shattuck also collected workers for his holotype and paratype specimens from Israelite Bay in Western Australia, rather than collecting those from Yorke Peninsula. The forms in Yorke Peninsula have also never been subject to study, so future research may shed light as to whether or not these ants are genetically different from the meat ant.
Under the present classification, the meat ant is a member of the genus Iridomyrmex in the tribe Leptomyrmecini, subfamily Dolichoderinae. It is a member of the family Formicidae, belonging to the order Hymenoptera, an order of insects containing ants, bees, and wasps. The genus Froggattella is the sister group of Iridomyrmex, both of which are in a clade that is 23 million years old. Fossils related to the meat ant and other species are from the Eocene and Oligocene.


In the early 1970s, scientists discovered several different forms of meats ants, forming the Iridomyrmex purpureus species group; three forms were identified (the regular I. purpureus and the other two forms I. sanguineus and I. viridiaeneus), differing in colour and nest structure. However, as there were no clear morphological differences among these variations, the taxonomic status and evolutionary relationship of these ants remained uncertain. Colouration varies from ants with a red head and thorax and a blue metallic sheen, to those with a yellowish body and a bluish-purple gaster. Others may be darker, appearing metallic-bluish to purplish-black.
Owing to their different geographical ranges, the behaviour and ecology of these forms differentiated, based on examinations where multiple forms were sympatric. Each form had its own geographical limit, although the regular I. purpureus form is very common, inhabiting at least one-third of the Australian continent. Some forms may be dominant in certain habitats; for example, one form may be widespread throughout moist environments in dry areas, and others in cool and dry areas.
In 1974, I. sanguineus and I. viridiaeneus were classified as two subspecies of the meat ant by P.J. Greenslade. He also recognised another form, an undescribed blue form that was first studied several years earlier. Greenslade did not propose any taxonomic recognition of the newly discovered taxon, but instead referred to it as a "form". In 1975, a study examined the distinctiveness of three forms by comparing the amylase enzyme allele frequencies. The blue form was found to be genetically isolated and its allele frequencies differed significantly from the forms purpureus and viridiaeneus, but the same study concluded that these latter two forms were similar. During this time, Greenslade would continue to study these forms to include a dark yellow, yellow, orange and a small purple form.
In addition, two new forms were recognised in later studies, but these two forms were not given any formal species description. Instead, they were only recognised by their colour and the genitalia of the males. Although these forms most likely represented undescribed, yet distinct species, the I. purpureus species group only contained a single valid species, three subspecies and seven different forms. In 1993, all known forms and subspecies were either revived or classified at species level in an article revising the group, concluding the separation of the forms from each other.


The specific epithet of the meat ant, purpureus, derives from Latin, in which it means "purple", "purple-coloured" or "dark-red", referencing the coloured appearance of the ant. In classical Latin, purpureus primarily translated to "dyed purple", while the word purpura, used by Smith for the meat ant (Formica purpura), translates to "purpled-dyed cloth". The generic name, Iridomyrmex, translates to "rainbow ants" from Ancient Greek, another reference which points to its appearance. This, in particular, is due to its blue-green iridescence colour. It is a compound of two Ancient Greek words – iris, meaning "rainbow", and myrmex, that means "ant".
The ant is commonly known as the meat ant because of its habit of stripping the meat off dead vertebrates. Alternative names include the gravel ant, Greenslade's meat ant, meat-eater ant, mound ant, or southern meat ant. The name "southern meat ant" is due to its extreme abundance in the southern regions of Australia.


In general, meat ants are medium to large in size, measuring 6–12 mm (0.24–0.47 in), and can be easily recognised by their dark-bluish body and red head. Generally, their heads and pronotums share similar colours and are lighter than the mesothorax (the middle of the three segments in the thorax) and the propodeum (the first abdominal segment), which are reddish brown. However, the head may sometimes be lighter, and the pronotum and mesothorax may share similar colours. The mesosomal setae (as in hair found on the mesosoma) are dark and sometimes translucent. The iridescence between the compound eyes and the lateral portion of the head ranges from slightly purple to strong and dark purple. The colour of the legs and coxae (the basal segment of the insect leg, which attaches to the body) are darker than the mesothorax, and the petiole (narrow waist) is reddish brown and also darker than the mesothorax.
The lateral portion of the second gastral tergite (a dorsal segment other than the head) is shiny, and the iridescence varies among workers, from green or blue to plain green and purple. The soft hairs on the head are frequent around the occipital margin, and around the mandibular insertion, three to eight pale setae are usually seen. The soft hairs are also common around the first gastral tergite. Examined specimens show no known ocelli. Erect setae on the pronotum are abundant. The anterodorsal (meaning in front and toward the back) portion of the propodeum is arched and flat.
There are no allometric differences among workers. On average, workers measure around 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in); this character distinguishes these ants from queens, as well as the different variety of colours they exhibit on their bodies. The head and pronotum range from orange to brick-red, and the mesonotum and propodeum are either light, same in colour or darker than the head. The gaster can be brown or black with blue or purple iridescence and the legs are either orange or brown. The iridescence around the foreparts is blue, pink, pale greenish yellow and purple. The erect setae are brown. The head has a concave posterior margin (as in the end of an organism from its head) with erect setae abundant in front of the face. The sides of the head are convex.
Fully erect setae on the genal (side region of the head) are either present or absent, although a small number of setae may be seen around the mandibular insertion. The eyes are semicircular and positioned around the midpoint of the ants' head capsule. The frontal carinae (a keel-shaped ridge or structure) are convex and the antennal scapes extend beyond the head's posterior margin by two or three times the diameter. Erect setae are found all over the antennal scape and noticeably prominent on the clypeal margin (a shield-like plate at the front of an insect). The mandibles are elongated and triangular, with long curved setae around the head capsule.
The pronotum is evenly curved with at least 12 or more pronotal setae present. These setae are mostly short and bristly. The mesonotum is sinuous (meaning it has many curves), and, like the pronotum, has 12 or more mesonotal setae. The mesothoracic spiracles are very small and the propodeal dorsum is smooth or convex. There are also a number of propodeal setae. The dorsum of the node (a segment between the mesosoma and gaster) is thin, scale-like and sometimes vertical. There are both non-marginal and marginal setae present on the first gastral tergite around the gaster.
Queens are easily distinguishable from workers by their black colour and larger size, measuring 12.7 mm (0.50 in). Queens are black, being mostly dark. The antennae and legs are ferruginous (rust-like colour), the head is fusco-ferruginous, and the sides beneath the face and mandibles are ferruginous. The head is wider than the thorax and emarginate. There is an impressed line that runs from the anterior (nearer to the front of the body) stemma to the base of the clypeus. The thorax is ovate (has an oval-shaped outline) and thinly covered with short reddish brown pubescence (soft short hair). The wings are subhyaline, exhibiting a glassy appearance. The wings are yellowish along the anterior margin of the superior pair and also around the base; the nervures (the veins of the wings) are rufo-fuscous.
Like the thorax, the abdomen is ovate and several abdominal segments appear rufo-piceous, making it reddish-brown or glossy brownish black. Males are smaller than queens, measuring 8 mm (0.31 in). Males are bright violet, and the antennae (except for the first joint) and tarsi are ferruginous. The first pair of the legs look almost ferruginous, and the head, legs and thorax are covered with black pubescence. Like the queen, the wings are subhyaline (imperfectly hyaline) and the nervures are rufo-fuscous. The abdomen shows a bright green tinge when seen under certain light.
Larvae measure 2.7–2.9 mm (0.11–0.11 in). The body is stout-shaped and the dorsal side is longer whereas the ventral side (the bottom portion of the body) is shorter and more straight. The head and anus are ventral. The integument is covered in spinules that are either isolated from each other or in short rows on the posterior somite and on the ventral surface. The body hairs are very short, measuring 0.008–0.016 mm (0.00031–0.00063 in). The cranium on its dorsal side outlines a curve which is smooth, and the spinules are moderately large. These spinules are either isolated or seen in near parallel rows. Several head hairs are present but they are small at 0.013–0.025 mm (0.00051–0.00098 in) in length.
The labrum is narrow and bilobed (consisting of two lobes). Each lobe has spinules and three sensilla (simple sensory receptors) around the anterior surface. The ventral border only has two sensilla and a number of spinules, and on the posterior surface, there are several rows of spinules and three sensilla. The mandibles have a central apical (most distal plate or appendage from the body) tooth which is clearly noticeable and sharp. The maxillae have lobes, and the labial palps (sensory structures on the labium) are knob-shaped.
Meat ant workers may be confused with those of I. lividus, as the two appear similar and are grouped in the same species complex. I. lividus and the much more localised I. spadius can be distinguished from other members of the I. purpureus group by the shape of the pronotum. Aside from colour differentiation that was a key morphological character to distinguish I. purpureus and the synonym I. greensladei from each other, some meat ant populations exhibit polymorphism despite being monomorphic (occurs in a particular form); specifically, body size among meat ants may vary geographically. For example, those that are found in very hot regions tend to be larger, whereas those found in regions of high humidity tend to be smaller than average.
Examined workers once referred to as I. greensladei from southwestern Western Australia have erect setae on the genae (lateral sclerites), whereas those studied elsewhere have glabrous genae, meaning that these areas have no hairs. Such patterns are most likely clinal, where several characteristics may gradually differentiate over a geographical area. The colour of the setae throughout the body and the iridescence may vary geographically. For example, populations restricted to the coasts of Western Australia usually have pale setae, compared to most colonies throughout the country, which have the common blackish setae. In 1993, Shattuck could not separate populations with pale setae when other key diagnostic traits that would separate these populations were not considered.
Meat ants from the Western Australian wheatbelt and goldfields show different iridescence; the iridescence in some collected specimens ranged from pale greenish-blue to yellowish-green, especially around the humeri (a structure which forms the basal corner of an insect's wing or wing case) and frons. The variation of the iridescence is, however, a consistent pattern found in other Iridomyrmex species with little distinction, making it a subtle character. The colour variation is less marked in all collected specimens of I. purpureus, as well as its close relative I. viridiaeneus, which is found in dry regions around the south-western regions. Shattuck further notes that populations found throughout the Northern Territory and South Australia have reduced pubescence on the first gastral tergite, but this is different elsewhere.


The meat ant is one of the best-known species of ant endemic to Australia; it has an enormous geographical range, covering at least one-third of the continent. Its range spans 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) from east to west, and 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) from north to south. This extensive range has allowed the meat ant to form large nesting grounds in areas where no development has occurred, and large amounts of gravel and open space have led to an abundant supply of materials (i.e. pebbles and dead pieces of vegetation) used to construct nests. Its isolation has also allowed meat ants to form associations with neighbouring nests of the same species. The ant is particularly dominant and frequently seen across the coastal and inland regions of southeastern Australia. Based on examined material, meat ants are widespread throughout New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. In Queensland, they are frequently encountered in the eastern regions, whereas their abundance is limited around the north and central parts. The ants are common in the southwestern regions of Western Australia, though not in the north. However, the Division of Entomology of the CSIRO states that the ant's presence in the state has not been verified. Most specimens collected in South Australia are from the south-east, but some populations are known in the north-west and northeast regions of the state. In the Northern Territory, specimens have been collected in the north and south regions but compared to other jurisdictions the ant is uncommon. No specimens have been collected from Tasmania or any outlying islands surrounding Australia.
Meat ants thrive in varied habitats, especially where it is open and warm. These ants are adapted to and thrive in warm climates and areas with constant high temperatures. The meat ant shares its distribution with many other animals and insects, some of which may cause harm to the ant or rival it, such as the banded sugar ant (Camponotus consobrinus). Nests are seen in box-pine scrubs, Callitris forests, dry and wet sclerophyll woodland, eucalypt open woodland, in farm pastures, flat savannah woodland, mallee woodland, heath, mulga, riparian woodland, around roads and cracks in sidewalks, and urban areas such as urban gardens and parkland. Nests are also common in lateritic ridges, granite outcrops and clay formations. Meat ants are able to survive in dry areas if there is a rich supply of water and food resources (such as honeydew and arthropod prey), especially along river banks, station properties and irrigated areas. Meat ants typically occur at altitudes of 5 and 1,170 m (16 and 3,839 ft) above sea level, though at times they can be found at heights of 915 m (3,002 ft). Those that are found at these altitudes are always associated with Eucalyptus rubida, and colonies situated in eastern New South Wales tend to nest near E. melliodora and E. blakelyi. In the south coast of New South Wales, meat ants are mainly found in heath shrubland, but are absent from heavily timbered slopes and cannot build nests in quartz. Other areas where the ants do not occur include dense pastures, dense bushes, tropical rainforests and treeless areas. For example, the Canberra suburb of Turner was constructed on subterranean clover pasture, which meat ants do not nest around. Their populations would later flourish and nests became numerous around houses after shrubs and trees were planted.


Meat ants are well known for their large, oval-shaped nest-mounds (normally 1 or 2 metres (3.3 or 6.6 ft) in diameter) that are encountered in areas of occurrence, and obvious to identify. These nests are often associated with many entrance holes; most nests have 20 to 35 holes. On the surface on the nest, workers clear the area of vegetation and cover the mound with gravel, but may use other materials that are available, including sand, pebbles, dead vegetation, eucalyptus fruits and twig fragments. Nests are built in the sun and hardly in the shade to keep them warm. The ant is a polydomous species, meaning that they live in more than one nest. Some colonies are known to create "super-nests": workers construct many nests connected through established paths, extending up to 650 metres (2,130 ft) in length. In one extreme case, a single colony was found to occupy over 10 hectares (25 acres) of land with 85 individual nests and 1,500 entrance holes. While they show no aggression toward their own nest mates, meat ants are aggressive to occupants of different nests within the same colony. Polydomy within a colony is typically favoured as it improves access to forage, as workers deliver most of their food to the nest that is closest to any site they forage in.
At any size, a meat ant nest always has a possibility of dying out in any year, but the site may be reoccupied by another colony. Hence, nests can be very old as suggested in one study. Some nests may never be reoccupied for unknown reasons. The regrowth of vegetation which shades the nest, soil damage or even a disease may wipe out a colony and leave the nest site completely abandoned. The death of a colony may be obvious when competing colonies increase in population and size by expanding their territories with well-established satellite nests in order exploit the food sources once used by a former colony. Satellite nests may diverge from their parent nests to become independent, as suggested by the antagonism of worker ants from different nests or when others are uninhabitable by insecticide treatment. After the eradication of a nest, satellite nests emerge nearby, and may sever their connections with the parent nest. The separation of a satellite nest is an effective way for a nest to exploit food sources, and a colony with less than 11 entrance holes is recognised as non-mature (a nest is mature at 12). As most satellite nests have 11 holes and accept a queen of their own, a satellite nest may easily develop maturity in one year.
All entrance holes of a given nest lead into a separate set of galleries. Entrance holes tend to be very small with only enough space for a single worker to fit through, but others may be 1 centimetre (0.4 in) wide. Beneath the surface, there are widened circular vertical shafts which are 1.5 centimetres (0.6 in) wide. Below these shafts, the tunnels turn into irregular galleries with paths going outward and downward which form more galleries. Almost all of these galleries are clustered together 15 to 20 centimetres (5.9 to 7.9 in) beneath the soil, which is extensively reworked by worker ants in the area above the nest. These sets of galleries are isolated from others connecting to neighbouring holes, although some may come close. However, there is no known physical connection. Each gallery has a flat floor, a domed roof and is irregularly oval-shaped. A gallery is typically 1.5 centimetres (0.6 in) high and 5 to 7 centimetres (2.0 to 2.8 in) wide. Below the galleries are a small number of shafts in undisturbed soil with large, yet scattered chambers where the population remains during the winter. In the upper areas of the colony, the galleries and shafts only account for 7–10% of nest space. For example, the galleries of excavated colonies occupy 420 cubic centimetres (26 cu in) whereas the total volume is around 5,000 cubic centimetres (310 cu in). Overall, a nest may dwell extremely deep beneath the soil as excavated nests are as deep as 3 metres (9.8 ft).


A diurnal species (active mainly during the day), the meat ant shows minimal interaction with nocturnal ant species when their territories overlap. The meat ant and other members of the I. purpureus species group are regarded as a dominant group of diurnal species in Australia, as they are highly active, aggressive, and have an enormous geographical range. During the day, the bulk of the workers attend and feed on honeydew secreted by insects that live on the leaves of Eucalyptus trees. These trees are connected by foraging trails formed by meat ants, which also connect to satellite nests that are a part of a single colony; these trails are easily visible due to the absence of vegetation and lead to important food and water sources. Other workers in smaller numbers will often scavenge around the nest area for dead insects, or other proteinaceous foods to bring back to their colony. Their dominance is clear when meat ants are capable of finding food sources more successfully than most ants, capable of displacing many ants and other insects. Food sources are also discovered more rapidly and greatly reduces the foraging efficiency of other ants, including those of Iridomyrmex. However, some ants such as the green-head ant (Rhytidoponera metallica) are not affected by the presence of meat ants and are still successful in finding food sources. As green-head ants are general predators and forage singularly and cannot recruit other nestmates, they are unable to defend food sources from dominant ants. They heavily rely on any food source and the impossibility of successfully defending it from other ants may have led to its peaceful coexistence with dominant species, including meat ants. This means green-head ants avoid conflict with meat ants. Certain myrmicines, which are highly competitive, are capable of defending themselves from foraging workers; the rapid recruitment of nestmates and the use of chemicals for defence allows them to withstand attacks from meat ants. In particular, Monomorium ants have been observed occupying baits regardless of the presence or absence of the meat ant. This is not the case with mealworms, but they have moderate success with honey baits. In foraging areas where meat ants are excluded or not present, the number of other ants observed is far greater and activity dramatically increases. However, the presence of meats ants does not affect abundant species, and most of the time it is only Iridomyrmex ants that increase their foraging rate.
The impact of meat ants on other species varies, depending on the habitat and type of food source, and the ecological role the ant plays. The deliberate exclusion of meat ants show that not only can they alter the amount of sources available, but the dynamics of resource use on entire outcrops. If present, meat ants rely on rapidly discovering food sources and retain their dominance so other ants cannot collect them, as well as exploitation and interference which helps displace other ants. The habitat meat ants live in may affect their dominance among the fauna. They are less successful in complex habitats and more successful in open areas, allowing workers to forage efficiently; for example, workers forage around rocks and collect food sources more successfully in contrast to those in vegetation. Meat ants are even more dominant than other I. purpureus species group members in non-complex habitats. Meat ants are normally larger than other Iridomyrmex species and can displace or even kill those trying to compete for food sources. The similar behaviours among meat ants and certain Iridomyrmex species have increased the level of conflict among each other, especially those in open habitats.
The rate of movement of workers is associated with temperature, and foraging workers leave the nest after sunrise when the nest is warmed in the early morning. Meat ants emerge and start foraging when temperatures are approximately 14 °C (57 °F), but they are capable of withstanding extremely hot temperatures, as workers have been seen foraging in 43 °C (109 °F) heat. Workers may only forage for several minutes when soil temperature is well above their thermal limit at 45.8 °C (114 °F). At 50 °C (122 °F) (soil surface temperature), foraging activity is reduced even further. As these ants exhibit high running speeds during hot days, their speed decreases after temperatures of 50 °C due to the physiological stress put onto them. Workers can withstand such temperatures by exhibiting opportunistic thermal responses to adjust their behaviour in order to handle high trail temperatures and alter their thermal biology for low temperatures. They will also deliberately expose themselves closely to their thermal maxima.
The success of meat ants depends on what resource they are dealing with. In one study, the removal of meat ants allowed the successful foraging of Iridomyrmex ants at carbohydrate sources, but not for protein baits. The success of the ants also did not increase with mealworm baits, suggesting that competition does not always occur between meat ants and other species, and factors, such as food preference, may be involved. In contrast with camponotines and some myrmicines, both of their success was affected at numerous food sources with meat ants present. Camponotines exhibit no aggression and cannot defend themselves.