Green-headed ants have a broad-ranging diet, but they generally feed on animal material both as scavengers and predators. They move quickly while foraging, which generally occurs during the day, on the ground and among vegetation. They are able to colonise disturbed areas quickly and have become common in urban areas. These ants are one of the first insects to forage after bush fires and are sometimes found as soon as the embers have stopped smouldering.
Unlike many ants, rain presents no problem to Green-head Ants, as long as it is only a light shower in continued sunshine. In overcast, cloudy conditions these ants return to their nests, which are usually in soil, under twigs or wood and often at the base of shrubs.