Sericomyia chrysotoxoides
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Sericomyia chrysotoxoides, (Macquart 1842), the Oblique-banded Pond Fly, is a common species of syrphid fly observed across the eastern half of North America and in the Rocky Mountains. Syrphid flies are also known as Hover Flies or Flower Flies because the adults are frequently found hovering around flowers from which they feed on nectar and pollen. Adults are 9.6–1,315.3 mm (0.38–51.78 in) long, black with yellow bands, less prominent in the male. The larvae of this genus are known as rat tailed maggots for the long posterior breathing tube. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Oblique-Banded Pond Fly sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 471st most-seen of the 632 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.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Oblique-Banded Pond Fly in Philadelphia on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Oblique-Banded Pond Fly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Oblique-Banded Pond Fly sightings, Philadelphia ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, about 10%), Boston (United States, under 5%) and Montreal (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Oblique-Banded Pond Fly that you can see in Philadelphia (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are Margined Calligrapher (about 10%), Eastern Calligrapher (about 10%) and Eurasian Drone Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Oblique-Banded Pond Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Philadelphia (7 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.
