Anthrax anthrax
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Anthrax anthrax is a species of fly in the family Bombyliidae. Unlike, for example, Bombylius major, this species does not mimic a bee. The eggs are flicked by the adult female toward the entrance of the nests of mason bees. After hatching, the larvae find their way into the nests to feed on the bee larva. A. anthrax can be found in May to August throughout mainland Europe. In the Netherlands A. anthrax is a common visitor of insect hotels. It was first recorded as breeding in Britain in 2019.
A. anthrax is a fairly large fly, the body length is 10 mm. The body is black with four white markings at tergum 2 and 3 and two white markings at the end of the abdomen. Tergum 1 is black with tufts of white hairs at the side. These tufts are visible in this picture of a hovering fly. The wings are mostly black, only the top is transparent. The veins are dark brown. The following picture was overexposed. Due to the brightly lit background the veins are visible. The newly emerged Anthrax anthrax may be found sitting on a bee hotel. Their body is dull black with more transparent wings.
The females may be found hovering before an insect hotel shooting eggs into... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 4 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 5 | Hamburg | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Essen | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Cologne | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 9 | Stockholm | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 10 | Brussels | 🇧🇪 Belgium |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Anthracite Bee-Fly sighting in Cologne on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 133rd most-seen of the 235 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May to July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Anthracite Bee-Fly in Cologne on a given day, against under 5% in August to April, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Anthracite Bee-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 14 cities where we can rate Anthracite Bee-Fly sightings, Cologne ranks 7th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Berlin (Germany, about 10%), Munich (Germany, about 10%) and Copenhagen (Denmark, about 10%).
Same family: Bombyliidae
The closest relatives of the Anthracite Bee-Fly that you can see in Cologne (family Bombyliidae, Bee Flies) are Black Banded Bee Fly (about 10%) and Greater Bee Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Anthracite Bee-Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Cologne (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.
