Cephalotes varians
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Cephalotes varians is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes with the common name turtle ant. Characterized by an odd, shaped head that allows them to block the nest entrance holes and prevents enemies from gaining access to their nest, their ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they are on also makes them one of several species known as gliding ants. When disturbed, they tuck their antennae and legs beneath flanges on their head and body, crouch down, and freeze, thus passively resisting attacks.
In 2016, C. varians was included on a list of adventive ants established in North America. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Caribbean Turtle Ant sighting in Everglades National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 213th most-seen of the 496 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–March, July and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Caribbean Turtle Ant in Everglades National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–June, August–October and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Caribbean Turtle Ant sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Everglades National Park, in our data
Everglades National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Northern Caribbean Turtle Ant sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Formicidae
The closest relatives of the Northern Caribbean Turtle Ant that you can see in Everglades National Park (family Formicidae, Ants) are Florida Carpenter Ant (about 30%), Red Imported Fire Ant (about 10%) and Graceful Twig Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Caribbean Turtle Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Everglades National Park (15 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
