Mexican Cactus Fly

Mexican Cactus Fly

Copestylum mexicanum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Los Angeles

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

217 Verified sightings at Los Angeles
40 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Mexican Cactus Fly

Copestylum mexicanum, the Mexican cactus fly, is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
<5%
5 Monterrey 🇲🇽 México
<5%
6 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Phoenix 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Mexican Cactus Fly in Los Angeles?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Cactus Fly sighting in Los Angeles on a given day, based on 217 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 106th most-seen of the 851 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Mexican Cactus Fly in Los Angeles?

June to October

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Cactus Fly in Los Angeles on a given day, against under 5% in November to May, the lowest months. Those are among Los Angeles's driest months, with almost no rain against 75 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see a Mexican Cactus Fly?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mexican Cactus Fly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Los Angeles the best place to see a Mexican Cactus Fly?

2nd of 10

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Mexican Cactus Fly sightings, Los Angeles ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in San Diego (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Mexican Cactus Fly sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Mexican Cactus Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Los Angeles (217 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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