虹琉璃蟻大部分會在土壤中築巢，但有些也會住在石頭下、朽木中，甚至是沙灘、人行道中[4]，某些物種會避免在沙質土壤中築巢[28]，巢體外觀多變，大部分是具有單個出入口的小型蟻丘，有些物種的巢體則是被卵石覆蓋且具有多個出入口的大型蟻丘[4]，某些物種會築出超級巢體，數個巢體彼此透過通道相連，長度可達650公尺[16]，曾經有個案例，有個群體佔據了超過10公頃的地，總共有85個巢體和1500個出入口[29]。肉蟻不會攻擊巢友，但是會攻擊居住在不同巢體但同一群體的個體[30]。巢體可以是高於地表或低於地表，有些物種如 I. conifer 高於或低於地表的巢都有，冬天時它們會築巢於樹枝上，天氣回暖時棲息在地下[16]，地下巢築在食物充足的地區，冬天時群體會移居到陽光充足的地方[31]。
While most Iridomyrmex species are notable for their aggression, some are quite timid. This worker is moving pupae to a safer location instead of attacking intruders after the nest was exposed.
大部分的虹琉璃蟻習性兇悍，會主動攻擊騷擾巢穴或是覓食時遇到的生物，特別是 I. purpureus 物種複合群的物種，它們會湧出巢穴殺死入侵者[4]；小型的物種也很兇悍，它們會噴灑虹琉璃蟻素（英语：iridomyrmecin）（iridomyrmecin），一種虹琉璃蟻屬專有的防禦物質[4]，虹琉璃蟻數量大，生性兇悍，活動力強，在澳洲是優勢種，某些物種會佔據資源，阻止其他昆蟲前來取食[32]，它們數量多又活躍，甚至能影響其他螞蟻的覓食行為[4]。
雖然虹琉璃蟻以兇悍著名，有些物種生性膽小，遭到騷擾只會逃離或躲藏，也會避免和其他螞蟻接觸[4]；如果巢穴受到攻擊，它們不會反擊，而是把幼蟲搬走，然後什麼也不做，它們會躲在落葉裡或植物裡，有些物種如 I. victorianus 遭受威脅時會靜止不動[4]。
虹琉璃蟻是獵食者和清除者，它們也會和半翅目及鱗翅目幼蟲互動以取得蜜露[4]，它們會獵食小型昆蟲，取食花粉[4]，它們通常在地面上覓食，但大多數物種還會爬到植株上覓食；虹琉璃蟻大多數活動於晝夜，但有些是夜行性[4]，它們白天時會堵住出入口，如果天氣合適，有些夜行性的物種也會在白天活動，但是有些物種，如 I. bigi 無論如何都不會在白天活動；有些物種會築巢在沒有陰影的地方，日出之後他們就可以曬太陽暖活身子，然後開始覓食[35]。
它們有時候會在白蟻丘裡築巢[36]，如此它們就可以就近捕食白蟻，除了捕食以外，目前沒有任何證據顯示白蟻和螞蟻有任何交互作用[4]，有些免疫海蟾蜍毒素的物種會捕食未成年的海蟾蜍[37]，如 I. purpureus 和 I. ruburrus[38][39]，由於此特性，有人提議在海蟾蜍棲地釋放虹琉璃蟻巢，以達到生物防治的目的。
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引用文本
Hölldobler, Bert; Wilson, Edward O. The Ants. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 1990. ISBN 978-0-674-04075-5.
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