Pogonortalis doclea
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Pogonortalis doclea, the boatman fly, is a species of signal fly (family Platystomatidae). It is native to Australia and has been introduced to California in the United States. Characteristics of P. doclea are: the cheek immediately below the eye being less than a tenth the height of the eye; the hind femur having an anteroventral keel at the distal third; and the anterior crossvein of the wing meeting vein 4 before the mid-length of the discal cell.
P. doclea is sexually dimorphic. Males have a bundle of long curved bristles on each cheek of the head. In this location, females have a single shorter bristle among small hairs. Larger males also have the head ventrally widened.
This species waves its wings like the rowing of oars on a boat, thus the common name "boatman fly". A slow approach to other flies with the wings held at a depressed slant, extended forwards, indicated cautious investigation.
Pogonortalis doclea is commonly found in Australian gardens. Adults are attracted to and feed on the fresh dung of mammals. Males are territorial, engaging in face-to-face pushing contests, using the bundle of long, curved bristles on either cheek. In such... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Sydney | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Perth | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Boatman Fly sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 287 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 54th most-seen of the 875 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Boatman Fly in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in August, the lowest month.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Boatman Fly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Boatman Fly sightings, Melbourne has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Sydney (Australia, about 10%) and Brisbane (Australia, about 10%).
Same order: Diptera
The closest relatives of the Boatman Fly that you can see in Melbourne (order Diptera, Flies) are Common Halfband (about 20%), Yellow-Shouldered Stout Hover Fly (about 10%) and Common Drone Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Boatman Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (287 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.
