Most frequently found in Tasmania and southeast mainland Australia, it is a member of the genus Myrmecia, subfamily Myrmeciinae, and was formally described and named by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858. This species is known for the ability to jump long distances. These ants are large; workers and males are approximately the same size: 12 to 14 millimetres (0.47 to 0.55 in) for workers, and 11 to 12 millimetres (0.43 to 0.47 in) for males.