Plagiolepis alluaudi
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Plagiolepis alluaudi, the little yellow ant, is a species of Plagiolepis. The species is native to Madagascar, an island off the coast of East Africa. It is known to be a widespread invasive species. In an effort to distinguish its name from other small and yellow species of ant it may be called Alluaud's little yellow ant, after Charles A. Alluaud.
Plagiolepis alluaudi is a very small ant averaging 1⁄16 of an inch (1.6 mm) in total length. It is yellow in color, has a rounded head, and has eleven antennal segments. The only other yellow ant in the genus Plagiolepis is P. exigua, which has an oblong head. P. alluaudi may also be confused with workers of the genus Brachymyrmex, which have nine antennal segments.
Plagiolepis alluaudi consumes honeydew, a product of plant sap that is produced by insects such as aphids, mealybugs, and scale insects. P. alluaudi is known to protect these insect species—which are often agricultural pests—from predators, going so far as to raise the pests' offspring in their nest until the larvae reach adulthood.
Colonies of P. alluaudi contain thousands of egg-laying queen ants, forming supercolonies. Wikipedia →
| # | 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 Little Yellow Ant sighting in London on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1394th 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Little Yellow Ant in London on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Little Yellow Ant sightings, London ranks 4th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Bengaluru (India, under 5%), Berlin (Germany, under 5%) and Paris (France, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Little Yellow Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in London (5 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.
