Solenopsis geminata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Solenopsis geminata or tropical fire ant is a species of fire ants, described by Fabricius in 1804, in the tribe Solenopsidini; it was originally placed in the Atta genus. This species has a pan-tropical distribution. Solenopsis geminata is native to Northern, Central and South America, including the Caribbean islands, but has since spread throughout the tropics by human means. It is an invasive species with a world-wide distribution even greater than that of other invasive fire ant species such as Solenopsis invicta (red imported fire ant).
S. geminata build their nests primarily in the soil in open, sunny areas. The nests are formed, some as craters or mounds, up to 2 feet wide and 12 inches tall with multiple entrance holes up to some 20 per nest. The number of mounds varies greatly, from 10 to 80 per acre in native habitats to up to 1000 or even 1500 mounds per acre in areas where they are introduced.
The colonies can either be monogyne, containing a single queen, or polygyne, containing many reproductive queens. They are known to hybridize with other closely related fire ant species. Queens may start a new colony following a... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davao City | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 2 | Hyderabad | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Kanpur | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Ho Chi Minh City | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 5 | Prayagraj | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Coimbatore | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Manila | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 8 | Ponnani | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Chennai | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Denpasar | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Fire Ant sighting in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 58th most-seen of the 74 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.
December
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Fire Ant in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, against under 5% in January–March, June–August and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tropical Fire Ant sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Tropical Fire Ant sightings, Padre Island National Seashore has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%) and Galápagos Islands (Ecuador, about 10%).
Same family: Formicidae
The closest relatives of the Tropical Fire Ant that you can see in Padre Island National Seashore (family Formicidae, Ants) are Texas Leafcutter Ant (about 10%), Yellow Pyramid Ant (about 10%) and Shiny Acrobat Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tropical Fire Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Padre Island National Seashore (5 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.
