The green-head ant, Rhytidoponera metallica, often simply referred to as the green ant, or sometimes the green-headed ant or the metallic pony ant, is a metallic-green coloured ant, generally 5–7 millimetres (0.20–0.28 in) in length,[2] that can be found throughout Australia, particularly in urban and suburban areas. It is often confused - verbally, not visually - with the weaver ant of northern Queensland, Australia as it is also referred to as the green ant.

The green-head ant is an infamous nuisance for suburban and urban dwellers in Australia. The ants generally build their nests underground beneath most types of grasses and often go unnoticed until someone, or sometimes some animal, is bitten. The actual ant's bite itself is often unnoticeable, however the venom that the ant injects via a sting, in its abdomen, initiates a sharp burning sensation beginning seconds after the sting and lasting up until any time from five minutes to as long as two hours or sometimes more. The venom is generally harmless but if a large number of bites are received at once the overwhelming amount of venom injected into the body can sometimes render a small child sick for a few hours or so, usually nothing to worry about except persevering through the crying.
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