Ants are one of the most influential elements in Australian ecosystems, having a major impact on plant growth and reproduction, and soil structure. They act as predators and competitors of other arthropods, and are an important food source for other animals.

The book provides details on separating genera from those which are superficially similar and those which are commonly confused. The distribution, habitat preferences and general biologies of each genus are discussed, and there is an introduction to the more important research papers investigating each group.