Pogonomyrmex badius
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Pogonomyrmex badius, or the Florida harvester ant, is a species of harvester ant in the genus Pogonomyrmex. It is the only Pogonomyrmex species found on the east coast of the United States and the only one in North America known to be polymorphic. The Florida Harvester ant is commonly found in Florida scrub and other similar habitats within the Atlantic coastal plain.
P. badius is a relatively large species of harvester ant present throughout Florida scrub and are one of the most notable and unique inhabitants of the ecoregion. The workers are highly polymorphic, ranging from 6.35 mm for the smallest workers to 9.52 mm for the largest majors which can rival the queen (10 - 12 mm) in size.
Both queens, majors and intermediates have disproportionately large heads, while minors have a more narrow complexion when viewed at the front. Under normal circumstances this species lacks epinotal spines which sit parallel on the propodeum though these spines may occasionally be present.
The Florida Harvester ant is a highly active diurnal species well adapted to the hot and dry habitats of the southeastern United States. Colonies are near exclusively... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Harvester Ant sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 45th most-seen of the 189 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May, September and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Harvester Ant in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in July, the lowest month.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Florida Harvester 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.
Only Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, in our data
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Florida Harvester Ant sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Formicidae
The closest relatives of the Florida Harvester Ant that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (family Formicidae, Ants) are Florida Carpenter Ant (about 10%), Graceful Twig Ant (about 10%) and Red Imported Fire Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Florida Harvester Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (31 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.
