Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee

Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee

Colletes thoracicus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Philadelphia

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

19 Verified sightings at Philadelphia
10 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee

Colletes thoracicus, the rufous-chested cellophane bee, is a species of cellophane or plasterer, masked, or fork-tongued bee in the family Colletidae. It is found in North America. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee in Philadelphia?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 277th 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.

When is the best time to see a Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee in Philadelphia?

May

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee in Philadelphia on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

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

Is Philadelphia the best place to see a Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee?

Among the best

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee sightings, Philadelphia ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Washington (United States, under 5%) and New York City (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rufous-Backed Cellophane Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Philadelphia (19 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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