Sericomyia militaris
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Narrow-Banded Pond Fly sighting in Anchorage on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 35th most-seen of the 59 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.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Narrow-Banded Pond Fly in Anchorage on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, 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.
Yes
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Narrow-Banded Pond Fly sightings, Anchorage has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Montreal (Canada, under 5%) and Edmonton (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Narrow-Banded Pond Fly that you can see in Anchorage (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are Orange-Spotted Drone Fly (about 10%), Woolly-Tailed Marsh Fly (about 10%) and Eurasian Drone 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 Anchorage (9 verified sightings), 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.
