Paragus haemorrhous
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Paragus haemorrhous, the black-backed grass skimmer is a common widespread species of hoverfly found in many parts of Europe, Africa and the Nearctic. Hoverflies can remain nearly motionless in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found on flowers from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are predators on aphids.
For terminology Speight key to genera and glossary external link to inaturalist images Size 4.3–5.9 mm (0.17–0.23 in) Head The face is yellow, moderately projecting, with a black median stripe in both sexes. The third antennal joint is sordid reddish below. The eyes are uniformly pilose."
Thorax The scutellum entirely black. Abdomen Segment 1 is black and well-developed. Segment 2 is black or has a posterior margin that is red. Segments 3 through 5 are usually entirely red-orange to dark red in males. The superior lobe varies in shape and size, with an apex that is nearly truncate to strongly oblique, and with a length from one to two times that of the surstylus.
Wings The wings are hyaline with a brownish grey stigma. Legs The legs are yellow and light brownish yellow. The basal... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Grass Skimmer sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 208th most-seen of the 311 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.
November
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Grass Skimmer in Cape Town on a given day, against under 5% in December to October, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Grass Skimmer sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 12
Of the 12 cities where we can rate Common Grass Skimmer sightings, Cape Town ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Sacramento (United States, about 10%), San Diego (United States, about 10%) and San Francisco (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Common Grass Skimmer that you can see in Cape Town (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are Common Drone Fly (about 10%), Stripe-Eyed Lagoon Fly (about 10%) and Episyrphus trisectus (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Grass Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Cape Town (10 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.
