Myrmecophilus acervorum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Myrmecophilus acervorum is an orthopteran insect belonging to the family Myrmecophilidae (the ant-loving crickets). This continental European species is probably the most widespread and most frequently encountered member of this rather obscure family found in Europe. It is also by far the smallest orthopteran found in Western Europe, with its total adult length never exceeding 3.5 mm (0.14 in).
As with other members of the family, this insect lives its whole lifecycle as an inquiline within ants' nests. M. acervorum lives with ants (myrmecophily) of more than 20 species. This specialized way of life has led this insect to evolve many morphological differences compared to other orthopterans, including complete absence of wings (as they never leave their host nest) and hearing organs (as they no longer use stridulation), and much reduced eyesight, as well as their very small size.
These tiny insects are dark brown with paler bands and prominent cerci, which serve as their primary sensory organs. Adults are found throughout the year, and take up to two years to reach adulthood from hatching. In this species, the females reproduce parthenogenetically. 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 an Ants'-Nest Cricket sighting in Warsaw on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 460th most-seen of the 580 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June–July and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Ants'-Nest Cricket in Warsaw on a given day, against under 5% in August and October–May, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Ants'-Nest Cricket sightings, Warsaw ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kyiv (Ukraine, under 5%).
Same order: Orthoptera
The closest relatives of the Ants'-Nest Cricket that you can see in Warsaw (order Orthoptera, Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Katydids) are Dark Bush-Cricket (about 10%), Southern Oak Bush-Cricket (about 10%) and Great Green Bush-Cricket (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ants'-Nest Cricket is recorded against all the insects logged in Warsaw (8 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.
