Myrmecia nigrocincta
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
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 Brisbane on a given day, based on 120 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 131st most-seen of the 1083 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Jumping Jack Ant in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in March, June and October, the lowest months. That is one of Brisbane's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain against 160 mm in February.
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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Jumping Jack Ant sightings, Brisbane ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Sydney (Australia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Jumping Jack Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Brisbane (120 verified sightings), 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.
