''Iridomyrmex fulgens'' is a species of ant in the genus ''

Iridomyrmex ''Iridomyrmex'' is a genus of ants called rainbow ants (referring to their blue-green iridescent sheen) first described by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr in 1862. He placed the genus in the subfamily Dolichoderinae of the family Formicida ...

''. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the species is found in several states in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, usually in the drier regions of the country.

Etymology

The species name derives from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

language, and when translated, it means 'brilliant' or 'splendid', which refers to parts of the ants body, or in particular its brown foreparts presenting a shiny appearance.

References

Iridomyrmex Hymenoptera of Australia Insects described in 2011 {{Iridomyrmex-stub