Eurosta solidaginis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis), also known as the goldenrod ball gallmaker, is a species of fly native to North America. The species is best known for the characteristic galls it forms on several species in the Solidago, or goldenrod, genus. The fly's eggs are inserted near the developing buds of the plant. After hatching, the larvae migrate to an area below the plant's developing buds, where they then induce the plant's tissues to form into the hardened, bulbous chamber referred to as a gall. E. solidaginis’s interactions with its host plant(s) and insect, as well as avian, predators have made it the centerpiece of much ecological and evolutionary biology research, and its tolerance of freezing temperatures has inspired studies into the anti-freeze properties of its biochemistry.
Eurosta solidaginis is in the order Diptera and the family Tephritidae. The Tephritidae are commonly referred to as fruit flies, a common name they share with the Drosophilidae family. The goldenrod gall fly was first put into the genus Eurosta by D. W. Cocquillet in 1910. Two subspecies exist: E. solidaginis subsp. solidaginis and E. solidaginis subsp. fascipennis, distinguished... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Goldenrod Gall Fly sighting in Calgary on a given day, based on 63 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 55th most-seen of the 256 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.
February, April and July–September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Goldenrod Gall Fly in Calgary on a given day, against under 5% in March, May–June and October–January, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Goldenrod Gall Fly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Goldenrod Gall Fly sightings, Calgary ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Montreal (Canada, about 10%), Toronto (Canada, about 10%) and Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Diptera
The closest relatives of the Goldenrod Gall Fly that you can see in Calgary (order Diptera, Flies) are Common Drone Fly (about 10%), Common European Greenbottle Fly (about 10%) and Willow Pinecone Gall Midge (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Goldenrod Gall Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Calgary (63 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.
