Tapinoma melanocephalum
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Tapinoma melanocephalum is a species of ant that goes by the common name ghost ant. They are recognised by their dark head and pale or translucent legs and gaster (abdomen). This colouring makes this tiny ant seem even smaller.
The ghost ant is small, with average worker lengths ranging between 1.3 to 2.0 millimetres (0.051 to 0.079 in). The antennae is composed of 12 segments that thicken towards the tip. The male's head and dorsum is dark in color, while the gaster is light. It may contain several dark marks. The antennal scapes exceeds the occipital border. The head and thorax is a dark brown color while the gaster, legs and antennae are a milky white color. Due to its small size and light colour, the ghost ant is difficult to see. Ghost ants are monomorphic and the thorax is spineless. The gaster is hairless, and has a back opening that is similar to a slit-like opening. The abdominal pedicel is formed from a single segment that is usually not visible due to the gaster. The species does not contain a stinger. During development, this species undergoes three larval instars, which are all naked and fusiform, with reduced mouthparts.
Queens are similar in appearance... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhuhai [Macau] | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Yogyakarta | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Prayagraj | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Manila | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 5 | Ho Chi Minh City | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 6 | Hyderabad | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 8 | Chennai | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 10 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Ghost Ant sighting in Zhuhai [Macau] on a given day, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 17th most-seen of the 152 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Ghost Ant in Zhuhai [Macau] on a given day, against under 5% in January and June–September, the lowest months. That is one of Zhuhai [Macau]'s driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 290 mm in June.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ghost 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.
Yes
Of the 38 cities where we can rate Ghost Ant sightings, Zhuhai [Macau] has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Yogyakarta (Indonesia, about 20%) and Prayagraj (India, about 20%).
Same family: Formicidae
The closest relatives of the Ghost Ant that you can see in Zhuhai [Macau] (family Formicidae, Ants) are Longhorn Crazy Ant (about 30%), Nicobar Carpenter Ant (about 20%) and Odontoponera denticulata (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ghost Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Zhuhai [Macau] (36 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.
