Orthonevra nitida
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Orthonevra nitida, the wavy mucksucker, is a fairly common species of syrphid fly. It has been observed in Eastern and Central North America. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein rich pollen. Larvae for this genus are of the rat-tailed type. O. nitida larvae have not been described.
For terminology see Speight key to genera and glossary Size 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) Head The head is brassy metallic black and covered with scale-like pile. The front in female narrow above, strongly transversely rugose, with a median furrowed longitudinal line. The frontal triangle (male) is rugose. The face is rugose, concave on the lower part. The epistoma is but slightly produced. There is a small silvery spot on each side of the face near the eye above. The antennae are longer than the face with the scape and pedicel are yellowish red or brownish, the flagellum is black and only a little longer than the pedicel. The eyes with a median straight horizontal line and two prominent recurving... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wavy Mucksucker sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 637th 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wavy Mucksucker in Chicago on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wavy Mucksucker 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 9 cities where we can rate Wavy Mucksucker sightings, Chicago ranks 8th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Baltimore (United States, under 5%), New York City (United States, under 5%) and Washington (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Wavy Mucksucker that you can see in Chicago (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are Margined Calligrapher (about 10%), Narrow-Headed Marsh Fly (about 10%) and Transverse-Banded Flower Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wavy Mucksucker is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (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.
