Pogonomyrmex barbatus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Pogonomyrmex barbatus is a species of harvester ant from the genus Pogonomyrmex. Its common names include red ant and red harvester ant. These large (5 to 7 mm) ants prefer arid chaparral habitats and are native to the Southwestern United States. Nests are made underground (up to 2.5 m deep) in exposed areas. Their diets consist primarily of seeds, and they consequently participate in myrmecochory, an ant-plant interaction through which the ants gain nutrients and the plants benefit through seed dispersal. Red harvester ants are often mistaken for fire ants, but are not closely related to any fire ant species, native or introduced.
Red harvester ant nests are characterized by a lack of plant growth and small pebbles surrounding the entrance to the tunnel, which usually descends at a pronounced angle. Hulls of seeds may be found scattered around the nest. In grassland areas, such as ranches, the lack of plant life makes red harvester ant colonies very easy to spot, and where they are very plentiful, they may make serious inroads into the grazing available to livestock. The mounds are typically flat and broad, up to 100 mm (3.9 in) high, and 300 to 1,200 mm (12 to 47... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red Harvester Ant sighting in Mexico City on a given day, based on 124 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 87th most-seen of the 557 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, April–August, October and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red Harvester Ant in Mexico City on a given day, against under 5% in January, March, September and November, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red Harvester 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.
Among the best
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Red Harvester Ant sightings, Mexico City ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Mesa (United States, about 10%) and Monterrey (México, about 10%).
Same family: Formicidae
The closest relatives of the Red Harvester Ant that you can see in Mexico City (family Formicidae, Ants) are Argentine Ant (about 10%) and Red Imported Fire Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red Harvester Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Mexico City (124 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.
