Sericomyia chrysotoxoides
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Sericomyia chrysotoxoides, (Macquart 1842), the Oblique-banded Pond Fly, is a common species of syrphid fly observed across the eastern half of North America and in the Rocky Mountains. 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 9.6–1,315.3 mm (0.38–51.78 in) long, black with yellow bands, less prominent in the male. The larvae of this genus are known as rat tailed maggots for the long posterior breathing tube. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Oblique-Banded Pond Fly sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 44 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 307th most-seen of the 1200 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.
September to November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Oblique-Banded Pond Fly in Boston on a given day, against under 5% in December to August, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Oblique-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.
2nd of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Oblique-Banded Pond Fly sightings, Boston ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Oblique-Banded Pond Fly that you can see in Boston (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are Margined Calligrapher (about 20%), Eastern Calligrapher (about 20%) and Transverse-Banded Flower Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Oblique-Banded Pond Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Boston (44 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.
