Plectroctena mandibularis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Plectroctena mandibularis, called the ringbum ant or millipede munching ant, is a large species of ant that ranges from the Eastern Cape, South Africa, through East Africa to Ethiopia. Their workers forage singly in open terrain, and their colony size seldom exceeds fifty individuals. It is one of the large Plectroctena species, including P. conjugata and P. minor, that specialize on adult millipedes as prey. The nest is composed of chambers that are typically located two feet or more below the surface, and the nest entrances are usually marked by large piles of earth. They get their colloquial, common name from their tendency to prey on millipedes. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Ringbum Millipede Muncher Ant sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 205th most-seen of the 401 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, July and October–January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ringbum Millipede Muncher Ant in Durban on a given day, against under 5% in February, April–June and August–September, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ringbum Millipede Muncher Ant sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all 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 Ringbum Millipede Muncher Ant sightings, Durban ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Pretoria (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Formicidae
The closest relatives of the Ringbum Millipede Muncher Ant that you can see in Durban (family Formicidae, Ants) are Natal Droptail Ant (about 10%), Silver Spiny Sugar Ant (about 10%) and Savanna Spiny Sugar Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ringbum Millipede Muncher Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Durban (10 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.
