Amblyopone australis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Amblyopone australis, the southern Michelin ant, is a species of ant in the genus Amblyopone, native to Australia. The species was described by Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson in 1842. Workers can vary in colour from yellow to dark brown or black. They have a body length of 4.5–8mm; queens are larger.
It has been accidentally introduced to New Zealand, where it has become widely established across the North Island. It is the largest ant species established in New Zealand. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Michelin Ant sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 520th most-seen of the 742 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 Southern Michelin Ant in Sydney on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Michelin Ant sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Southern Michelin Ant sightings, Sydney ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Auckland (New Zealand, about 10%).
Same family: Formicidae
The closest relatives of the Southern Michelin Ant that you can see in Sydney (family Formicidae, Ants) are Jumping Jack Ant (about 20%), Green-Head Ant (about 10%) and Banded Sugar Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Michelin Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Sydney (9 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.
