Bent-Spined Acorn Ant

Bent-Spined Acorn Ant

Temnothorax curvispinosus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Shenandoah National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

5 Verified sightings at Shenandoah National Park From 2019 to 2026
13 In all 2 parks
June Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Bent-Spined Acorn Ant

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 →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Bent-Spined Acorn Ant in Shenandoah National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Bent-Spined Acorn Ant sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 630th most-seen of the 723 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.

When is the best time to see a Bent-Spined Acorn Ant in Shenandoah National Park?

June

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bent-Spined Acorn Ant in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Bent-Spined Acorn Ant?

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.

Is Shenandoah National Park the best place to see a Bent-Spined Acorn Ant?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Bent-Spined Acorn Ant sightings, Shenandoah National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Bent-Spined Acorn Ant sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Bent-Spined Acorn Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Shenandoah National Park (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.

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