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 New York City on a given day, based on 135 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 254th most-seen of the 1623 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.
October and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Wavy Mucksucker in New York City on a given day, against under 5% in December to September, the lowest months.
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, New York City ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Baltimore (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Wavy Mucksucker 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.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wavy Mucksucker is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (135 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.
