Novomessor cockerelli
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Novomessor cockerelli is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is native to the deserts of the Southwestern United States and Mexico. It lives in large underground colonies in which there is a single queen. The worker ants leave the nest daily to forage for seeds, plant material and dead insects.
Novomessor cockerelli is a large brown ant with a blackish gaster, long legs and an elongated head. It can be recognised by the two distinctive spines on the propodeum. It can be distinguished from the rather similar Novomessor albisetosus by the shape of its head. It cannot sting but is very aggressive and has a powerful bite.
Novomessor cockerelli is found in arid areas of the Southwestern United States including Texas and the Franklin Mountains, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California. It is also present in northern Mexico in the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila and Nuevo León. Its typical habitat is upland plains includes desert areas with ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), cactus, creosote bush, mesquite, sagebrush and thorn scrub at altitudes of between 518 and 1,877 m (1,699 and 6,158 ft) above sea level.
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Novomessor cockerelli sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 68th most-seen of the 329 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and November–December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Novomessor cockerelli in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and February, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Novomessor cockerelli sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Novomessor cockerelli sightings, Big Bend National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Saguaro National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Novomessor cockerelli is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Bend National Park (27 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
