Liometopum occidentale
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Liometopum occidentale, also called the velvety tree ant, is a species of ant in the subfamily Dolichoderinae. Liometopum occidentale is often mistaken for carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) by homeowners and pest management professionals. This mistaken identity is due to morphological and behavioral characteristics they share with carpenter ants; namely polymorphic workers, a smooth convex thoracic profile, and the tendency to excavate wood. Consequently, their importance as structural pests may be greatly underreported, especially in California, Oregon, and Washington, United States.
Liometopum occidentale was originally described as Liometopum microcephalum var. occidentale by Emery (1895). Wheeler (1905) relocated it to a variety of Liometopum apiculatum. It was finally elevated to the species level by Wheeler (1917) and remained there in a recent taxonomic review by Del Toro et al. (2009).
Liometopum occidentale is found from sea level to over 1840 m in coastal regions from southern Washington to northern Mexico. The range of elevation of this species also appears to depend on latitude, with ants collected from locations in Oregon as low as 7 m and up... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Velvety Tree Ant sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 105th most-seen of the 190 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–May, September–October and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Velvety Tree Ant in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, June–August and November, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Velvety Tree 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.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Western Velvety Tree Ant sightings, Joshua Tree National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 10%) and Yosemite National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Formicidae
The closest relatives of the Western Velvety Tree Ant that you can see in Joshua Tree National Park (family Formicidae, Ants) are Messor pergandei (about 30%), California Harvester Ant (about 30%) and Rough Harvester Ant (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Velvety Tree Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Joshua Tree National Park (12 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.
