Paratrechina longicornis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The longhorn crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis), also known as the black crazy ant, is a species of small Formicine ant. These ants are commonly called "crazy ants" because instead of following straight lines, they dash around erratically. They have a broad distribution, including much of the tropics and subtropics, and are also found in buildings in more temperate regions, making them one of the most widespread ant species in the world. This species, as well as all others in the ant subfamily Formicinae, cannot sting. However, this species can fire/shoot a formic acid spray from its abdomen when under attack by other insects or attacking other insects. When the longhorn crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis) bends its abdomen while aiming at an enemy insect, it is typically shooting its hard-to-see acid.
These ants can be touched safely, similar to the ghost ants. The worker longhorn crazy ant is about 2.3 to 3.0 mm (0.09 to 0.12 in) long with a brownish-black head, thorax, petiole, and gaster, often with a faint blue iridescence. The body has a few short, whitish bristles and the antennae and limbs are pale brown. Distinguishing this ant from other members of its... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 4 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 6 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhuhai [Macau] | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Davao City | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 3 | Hyderabad | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Tiruchirappalli | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Kochi | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Ho Chi Minh City | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 7 | Yogyakarta | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | Thiruvananthapuram | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Kuwait City | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | |
| 10 | Chennai | 🇮🇳 India |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Longhorn Crazy Ant sighting in Braulio Carrillo National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 214th most-seen of the 378 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.
March, June–July and December–January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Longhorn Crazy Ant in Braulio Carrillo National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April–May and August–November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Longhorn Crazy 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.
Among the best
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Longhorn Crazy Ant sightings, Braulio Carrillo National Park ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 10%), Everglades National Park (United States, about 10%) and Taroko National Park (Taiwan, about 10%).
Same family: Formicidae
The closest relatives of the Longhorn Crazy Ant that you can see in Braulio Carrillo National Park (family Formicidae, Ants) are Bullet Ant (about 70%), Hairy-Headed Leafcutter Ant (about 40%) and Burchell's Army Ant (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Longhorn Crazy Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Braulio Carrillo National Park (10 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.
