Eristalis arbustorum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Eristalis arbustorum, the European drone fly, is an abundant Northern Hemisphere species of syrphid fly, originally officially described by Linnaeus in 1758 as Musca arbustorum. The name "drone fly" is related to its similar appearance to the drone of the honeybee. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies as they are commonly found on and around flowers from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein rich pollen. The larvae are aquatic filter-feeders of the long-tailed type.
External images For terms see Morphology of Diptera The wings are 7–10 mm long. At least, the basal half of the arista is plumose. The face is entirely pale dusted; there is a shining black median stripe in rubbed specimens. The hind femora are pale at their tips only. E. arbustorum resembles E. abusiva, but they are distinguished by the plumose arista, as well as a less projecting mouth-edge and shorter hairs overall. The top quarter of tibia 2 is black.
The male genitalia are figured by Hippa et al. (2001). The larva is figured by Hartley (1961). Eristalis arbustorum is found in... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 10 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 11 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Algiers | 🇩🇿 Algeria | |
| 4 | Kharkiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 5 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Tashkent | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | |
| 7 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Tehran | 🇮🇷 Iran | |
| 9 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Drone Fly sighting in Saint Petersburg on a given day, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 63rd most-seen of the 448 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Drone Fly in Saint Petersburg on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months. Those are among Saint Petersburg's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in February.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eurasian Drone Fly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
42nd of 61
Of the 61 cities where we can rate Eurasian Drone Fly sightings, Saint Petersburg ranks 42nd at under 5%. The best odds are in New York City (United States, about 20%), London (United Kingdom, about 20%) and Algiers (Algeria, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eurasian Drone Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Saint Petersburg (51 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.
