Ant nest beetle secretions on their antennae and body allow them to interact with ant workers. It is believed that the beetles use an acoustic mechanism to successfully imitate the sounds of an ant queen thus permitting them access to the nest without alarming the ants. The defensive bombardier behaviour is never used against ants. Males of some species are attracted to lights during some parts of the season and are thought to disperse from one ant nest to another. Males are thought to be short-lived. These beetles feed on ant eggs, larvae and adults by piercing their mandibles into the abdomen or
Myrmecia (ant) brevinoda" was first discovered in New Zealand in 1940, and the ant was recorded in Devonport in 1948, 1965 and 1981, where a single nest was destroyed. Sources suggest the ant was introduced to New Zealand through human activity; they were found inside a wooden crate brought from Australia. While no eradication attempt was made by the New Zealand government, the ant has not been found in the country since 1981 and is presumed to have been eradicated. Ants of this genus prefer to inhabit grasslands, forests, heath, urban areas and woodland. Nests are found in "Callitris" forest, dry marri