Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief

Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief

Diogmites neoternatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Chicago

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

8 Verified sightings at Chicago
7 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief

Diogmites neoternatus, the plain tailed hanging thief, is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae. Its genus name, Diogmites, refers to the peculiar habit of hanging by its foreleg while consuming prey. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief in Chicago?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 706th most-seen of the 978 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.

When is the best time to see a Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief in Chicago?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief in Chicago on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief?

Between 2 and 5 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Chicago the best place to see a Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief?

5th of 6

Of the 6 cities where we can rate Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief sightings, Chicago ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Washington (United States, about 10%), Baltimore (United States, about 10%) and Orlando (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (8 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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