Buren's Pyramid Ant

Buren's Pyramid Ant

Dorymyrmex bureni

Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

17 Verified sightings at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge From 2019 to 2026
23 In all 2 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Buren's Pyramid Ant

Dorymyrmex bureni, also known as Buren's pyramid ant, is a species of ant in the genus Dorymyrmex. Described by Trager in 1988, the species is endemic to the United States. Pyramid ants are medium-sized ants, ranging from 2–4 mm. They are light orange in color and fast moving. Unlike other ant species in the area like the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), this species is relatively harmless to humans and unable to sting. The workers have a foul smelling coconut odor when crushed. Dorymyrmex bureni hunt living insects, even other winged ants. They also search for sap-sucking insects from which they collect honeydew. On the head of these ants are curved hairs, used for transporting beads of damp sand. Colonies are small. Nests usually have a single entrance with a mound of sand shaped like a crater. Dorymyrmex bureni prefer sandy soil. This species of ant is not an indoor pest, and the use of pesticides to control them is not necessary. They are found throughout the southeastern United States. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Buren's Pyramid Ant in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Buren's Pyramid Ant sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 83rd most-seen of the 189 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.

When is the best time to see a Buren's Pyramid Ant in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?

August–September and November–June

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Buren's Pyramid Ant in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in July and October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Buren's Pyramid Ant?

Between 2 and 5 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Buren's Pyramid 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.

Is Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge the best place to see a Buren's Pyramid Ant?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Buren's Pyramid Ant sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Everglades National Park (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Buren's Pyramid Ant live in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?

Same family: Formicidae

The closest relatives of the Buren's Pyramid Ant that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (family Formicidae, Ants) are Florida Carpenter Ant (about 10%), Florida Harvester Ant (about 10%) and Graceful Twig Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Buren's Pyramid Ant sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Buren's Pyramid Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (17 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.

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