Slender Smoothtail

Slender Smoothtail

Epistrophella emarginata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at New York City

In 3 days ~10%

13 Verified sightings at New York City
20 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Slender Smoothtail

Epistrophella emarginata is a common North American species of hoverfly. Its larvae are aphid predators. When laying eggs, the female oviposits on the petioles of a leaf. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

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

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
5 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Slender Smoothtail in New York City?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Slender Smoothtail sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 880th most-seen of the 1623 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Slender Smoothtail in New York City?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Slender Smoothtail in New York City on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Slender Smoothtail?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

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

Is New York City the best place to see a Slender Smoothtail?

Among the best

Of the 6 cities where we can rate Slender Smoothtail sightings, New York City ranks 6th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Baltimore (United States, under 5%), Boston (United States, under 5%) and Washington (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Slender Smoothtail live in New York City?

Same family: Syrphidae

The closest relatives of the Slender Smoothtail that you can see in New York City (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are Eurasian Drone Fly (about 20%), Margined Calligrapher (about 10%) and Eastern Calligrapher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Slender Smoothtail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Slender Smoothtail is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (13 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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