Temnothorax curvispinosus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Temnothorax curvispinosus, the acorn ant, is a species of ant in the genus Temnothorax. The species is common and widely distributed in eastern United States, where they tend to inhabit forested areas. The ground-dwelling ants build their nests in plant cavities, in the soil or under rocks. It is sometimes called the acorn ant because it can live inside hollowed out acorns.
Acorn ants are found in both rural and urban habitats. The acorn ant is temperature-sensitive, and urban environments tend to be hotter and change temperature more rapidly than rural ones. Urban populations of acorn ants can evolve improved heat tolerance and also increased plasticity in responding to temperature changes. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Bent-Spined Acorn Ant sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 513th most-seen of the 822 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.
May to July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bent-Spined Acorn Ant in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to April, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bent-Spined Acorn Ant sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Bent-Spined Acorn Ant sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Shenandoah National Park (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Formicidae
The closest relatives of the Bent-Spined Acorn Ant that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (family Formicidae, Ants) are American Carpenter Ant (about 10%), American Winter Ant (about 10%) and Eastern Black Carpenter Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Bent-Spined Acorn Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (8 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.
