Myrmecia nigrocincta
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Myrmecia nigrocincta, commonly known as the jumper ant or jumping jack, is an ant of the genus Myrmecia. The species was first described by Frederick Smith in 1858. Colonies of this ant are abundant in eastern Australia. Ants of this species are known for their ability to jump up to 10 centimetres, and they also have a powerful, venomous sting. Rather than foraging on the ground, M. nigrocincta prefer to forage in trees where they are known to pollinate certain flowers.
This ant is a large species, some workers can grow to over 15 mm (0.6 in) in length. They have a distinctive pattern of orange-red and black which distinguishes them from other Myrmecia species. M. nigrocincta possess the gamergates gene which allows workers to reproduce, either in the presence of a queen or in a colony where the queen is missing. Life expectancy of a worker ant is over one year. They are aggressive when attacking intruders.
Abundant in eastern Australia, M. nigrocincta ants prefer temperate bushlands, and are usually located in dry to semi-dry forests and sclerophyll woodlands. The species is found in the eastern states of Australia, mostly on the coastal plains where much suitable... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Jumping Jack Ant sighting in Blue Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 174th most-seen of the 789 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Jumping Jack Ant in Blue Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to September, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Jumping Jack Ant sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Jumping Jack Ant sightings, Blue Mountains National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Lamington National Park (Australia, about 30%), Noosa National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Springbrook National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same genus: Myrmecia
The closest relatives of the Jumping Jack Ant that you can see in Blue Mountains National Park (genus Myrmecia, Bull Ants) are Australian Red Bull Ant (about 10%), Australian Jumper Ant (about 10%) and Giant Bulldog Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Jumping Jack Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Blue Mountains National Park (23 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.
