Common Loopwing Aphideater

Common Loopwing Aphideater

Lapposyrphus lapponicus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Banff National Park

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

15 Verified sightings at Banff National Park From 2019 to 2026
143 In all 11 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Loopwing Aphideater

Lapposyrphus lapponicus (Zetterstedt, 1838), the common loopwing aphideater (in North America) or Lapland syrphid fly (in Europe), is a common species of syrphid fly observed across the Northern Hemisphere. The adults are commonly found on flowers from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein rich pollen. Larvae feed on aphids. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
2 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Hohe Tauern National Park 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
4 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
7 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
11 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Anchorage 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Salt Lake City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
7 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Calgary 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
9 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%
10 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Loopwing Aphideater in Banff National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Loopwing Aphideater sighting in Banff National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 42nd most-seen of the 105 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 Common Loopwing Aphideater in Banff National Park?

June to October

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Loopwing Aphideater in Banff National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Common Loopwing Aphideater?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Loopwing Aphideater 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 Banff National Park the best place to see a Common Loopwing Aphideater?

6th of 11

Of the 11 parks where we can rate Common Loopwing Aphideater sightings, Banff National Park ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in Kluane National Park (Canada, about 20%), Glacier National Park (United States, about 10%) and Hohe Tauern National Park (Austria, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Common Loopwing Aphideater live in Banff National Park?

Same family: Syrphidae

The closest relatives of the Common Loopwing Aphideater that you can see in Banff National Park (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are Common Drone Fly (about 30%), White-Bowed Smoothwing (about 10%) and Black-Margined Flower Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Loopwing Aphideater sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Loopwing Aphideater is recorded against all the insects logged in Banff National Park (15 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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