Paratrechina longicornis
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
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 Mesa on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 49th most-seen of the 232 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Longhorn Crazy Ant in Mesa on a given day, against under 5% in March and December, 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.
27th of 66
Of the 66 cities where we can rate Longhorn Crazy Ant sightings, Mesa ranks 27th at about 10%. The best odds are in Zhuhai [Macau] (China, about 30%), Davao City (Philippines, about 20%) and Hyderabad (India, about 20%).
Same family: Formicidae
The closest relatives of the Longhorn Crazy Ant that you can see in Mesa (family Formicidae, Ants) are Southern Fire Ant (about 20%), Dark Rover Ant (about 10%) and Red Harvester Ant (about 10%), 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 Mesa (43 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.
