Tropidia scita
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Tropidia scita is a common Palearctic species of hoverfly associated with wetlands, ponds and ditches. The larvae have been recorded living in the basal sheaths of Typha. External images For terms see Morphology of Diptera
Wing length 5.5–8.25 millimetres (0.217–0.325 in). Vein R4+5 is only slightly dipped into the underlying cell. Thorax dorsum shining black with some dusted parts. Tergites 2 and 3 yellow or orange with a black median stripe. Antennae dark, brown or black. Hind femora swollen and curved. See references for determination.
Palearctic Fennoscandia South to central France. Ireland East through Central Europe and then through Russia and the Caucasus. On to Siberia and the Russian Far East. Japan. Formosa. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warsaw | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 3 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tooth-Thighed Hoverfly sighting in Birmingham on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 745th most-seen of the 811 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tooth-Thighed Hoverfly in Birmingham on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tooth-Thighed Hoverfly 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 4 cities where we can rate Tooth-Thighed Hoverfly sightings, Birmingham ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Warsaw (Poland, under 5%) and Copenhagen (Denmark, under 5%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Tooth-Thighed Hoverfly that you can see in Birmingham (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are Yellow-Haired Sun Fly (about 40%), Marmalade Hover Fly (about 30%) and Tapered Drone Fly (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tooth-Thighed Hoverfly is recorded against all the insects logged in Birmingham (5 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.
