Formica fusca
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Formica fusca is a black-colored ant commonly found throughout Europe as well as parts of southern Asia and Africa. It has the common names silky ant or dusky ant. The range within the palaearctic region extends from Portugal in the west to Japan in the east and from Italy in the south to Fennoscandia in the north. Populations from North America have been split off as a separate species, Formica subaenescens. F. fusca nests are usually found in rotten tree stumps or under stones in clearcut areas and along woodland borders and hedgerows. The species also often occurs in urban areas, feeding on honeydew secreted by the aphids found on weeds.
Colonies are facultatively polygynous (though weakly so, with a mean number of queen of 3.09); though the queens coexist amicably, contribution to the brood tends to be unequal. Nests are usually small, containing 500–2,000 workers. The workers are large, at 8–10 millimetres (0.3–0.4 in) long, and fast moving, though timid. To ensure that non-nest mate eggs are not reared, these workers will engage in a process known as worker policing. Alate (winged) forms are produced in June/July and nuptial flights are in July/August.
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Formica fusca sighting in London on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1059th most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Formica fusca in London on a given day, against under 5% in March to January, the lowest months.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Formica fusca sightings, London ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Helsinki (Finland, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Formica fusca is recorded against all the insects logged in London (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.
