Stripe-Legged Robber Fly

Stripe-Legged Robber Fly

Dioctria hyalipennis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Boston

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

307 Verified sightings at Boston
35 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Stripe-Legged Robber Fly

Dioctria hyalipennis is a Holarctic species of robber fly in the family Asilidae. 10 to 14 mm. The upper head and vertex are shiny black. The lower face has a silvery-white pile. The mystax is white and the short proboscis black. The antennae appears Y-shaped with the segments about equal in length. They are black with short black hair. The neck is obvious and the thorax is raised or humped. It is black with two long indented lines and a faint covering of light yellow pile. Segment 2 (scutellum) is small with a line of yellow pile at the base. The thorax sides have a wide stripe of whitish pollen extending along the thorax down to the front leg.

The wings are hyaline, but appear darker when folded over the body. The veins are brown. Halteres light yellow. The front and middle legs are mostly yellow with black streaks on the top side and dark tips. The feet are black with grey piles and yellow spines and toes. The hind legs are black with a swollen 1st foot segment.

The abdomen is shining black. The lower margin of segments has a thin whitish line. The first 4 male segments are very narrow and constricted (appear wavy); the last few segments gradually widen to the... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
4 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
5 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
6 Hamburg 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
7 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
8 Essen 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
9 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Stripe-Legged Robber Fly in Boston?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Stripe-Legged Robber Fly sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 307 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 52nd most-seen of the 1200 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Stripe-Legged Robber Fly in Boston?

June

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Stripe-Legged Robber Fly in Boston on a given day, against under 5% in August to April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Stripe-Legged Robber Fly?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Stripe-Legged Robber Fly sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Boston the best place to see a Stripe-Legged Robber Fly?

Yes

Of the 23 cities where we can rate Stripe-Legged Robber Fly sightings, Boston has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Toronto (Canada, about 10%) and Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Stripe-Legged Robber Fly live in Boston?

Same family: Asilidae

The closest relatives of the Stripe-Legged Robber Fly that you can see in Boston (family Asilidae, Robber Flies) are Northeastern Hammertail (about 10%) and Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Stripe-Legged Robber Fly sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Stripe-Legged Robber Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Boston (307 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.

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