Sericomyia militaris
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Sericomyia militaria, commonly known as the narrow-banded pond fly, is a common species of syrphid fly observed across northern North America. Syrphid flies are also known as Hover Flies or Flower Flies because the adults are frequently found hovering around flowers from which they feed on nectar and pollen. Adults are 11.7–17.1 mm (0.46–0.67 in) long, mostly black with narrow yellow abdominal markings. The larvae of this genus are known as rat tailed maggots for the long posterior breathing tube. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Narrow-Banded Pond Fly sighting in Banff National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 89th most-seen of the 105 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.
August and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Narrow-Banded Pond Fly in Banff National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to July, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Narrow-Banded Pond Fly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Narrow-Banded Pond Fly sightings, Banff National Park ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Isle Royale National Park (United States, about 20%), Gros Morne National Park (Canada, about 10%) and Great Bear Rainforest (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Narrow-Banded Pond Fly 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.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Narrow-Banded Pond Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Banff 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.
