Melaphis rhois
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Melaphis rhois is an aphid species first identified by Asa Fitch in 1866. Known as the staghorn sumac aphid, it is in the genus Melaphis. It is a type of woolly aphid and one of the few aphids that induce the formation of galls. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sumac Gall Aphid sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 116 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 162nd most-seen of the 1200 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.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Sumac Gall Aphid in Boston on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sumac Gall Aphid sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Sumac Gall Aphid sightings, Boston has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Toronto (Canada, under 5%) and Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Aphididae
The closest relatives of the Sumac Gall Aphid that you can see in Boston (family Aphididae, Aphids) are Oleander Aphid (about 20%), Witch-Hazel Cone Gall Aphid (about 10%) and Spiny Witch-Hazel Gall Aphid (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sumac Gall Aphid is recorded against all the insects logged in Boston (116 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.
