Formica subsericea
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Formica subsericea, colloquially known as the black field ant, is a species of ant in the genus Formica. It is found in the eastern United States and Canada. Workers of this species are incredibly fast and quite timid. Workers of this species are commonly found working as slaves in Polyergus colonies. Nuptial flights typically occur in July or August. It is often confused with another Formica species, Formica fusca.
The larvae of Microdon megalogaster, a member of the ant fly genus, have been observed in the nests of these ants. The inquiline relationship of these fly larvae is not well understood. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Silky Field Ant sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 156th most-seen of the 723 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March to November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Silky Field Ant in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Silky Field 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 Silky Field Ant sightings, Shenandoah National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Silky Field Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Shenandoah National Park (26 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.
