Lipoptena cervi
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Lipoptena cervi, the deer ked or deer fly, is a species of biting fly in the family of louse flies, Hippoboscidae. These flies are commonly encountered in temperate areas of Europe, Siberia, and northern China. They have been introduced to North America. They are parasites of elk, deer, and other deer family members, burrowing through the fur and sucking the blood of the host animals. Adults are only 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) in length and brownish in colour. Their bodies are flat and elastic, making their removal difficult. L. cervi is a poor flier and can only fly for short distances. Once the insect reaches its target, it sheds its wings and starts burrowing through the fur.
Although their life cycle depends on deer, they may on rare occasions bite humans, producing responses ranging from unnoticeable to highly allergic. Initially, the bite may be barely noticeable and leaves little or no trace. Within 3 days, the site may develop into a hard, reddened welt. The accompanying itch is intense and typically lasts 14 to 20 days. Occasionally, an itch papule may persist for up to a year. The main annoyance in humans is the inconvenience and unpleasantness of removing keds from... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moscow | 🇷🇺 Russia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Deer Ked sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 661st most-seen of the 1115 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Deer Ked in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August–September and November–June, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Deer Ked 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.
Only Bavarian Forest National Park, in our data
Bavarian Forest National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Deer Ked sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same order: Diptera
The closest relatives of the Deer Ked that you can see in Bavarian Forest National Park (order Diptera, Flies) are Common Drone Fly (about 20%), Marmalade Hover Fly (about 20%) and Yellow-Haired Sun Fly (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Deer Ked is recorded against all the insects logged in Bavarian Forest National Park (8 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.
