Tufted Globetail

Tufted Globetail

Sphaerophoria contigua

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Philadelphia

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

16 Verified sightings at Philadelphia
41 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Tufted Globetail

Sphaerophoria contigua is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae. It is a predator of aphids. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
7 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Tufted Globetail in Philadelphia?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tufted Globetail sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 296th 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 Tufted Globetail in Philadelphia?

May and June

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tufted Globetail in Philadelphia on a given day, against under 5% in July to April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Tufted Globetail?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tufted Globetail 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 Tufted Globetail?

Among the best

Of the 14 cities where we can rate Tufted Globetail sightings, Philadelphia ranks 4th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Boston (United States, under 5%), Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, under 5%) and Washington (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Tufted Globetail live in Philadelphia?

Same family: Syrphidae

The closest relatives of the Tufted Globetail 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.

Where does the Tufted Globetail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Tufted Globetail is recorded against all the insects logged in Philadelphia (16 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.

← Back to Philadelphia