Tufted Globetail

Tufted Globetail

Sphaerophoria contigua

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at San Diego

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

52 Verified sightings at San Diego
41 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
May 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 San Diego?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tufted Globetail sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 52 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 170th most-seen of the 693 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 San Diego?

May

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tufted Globetail in San Diego on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months. That is one of San Diego's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain against 55 mm in February.

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 San Diego the best place to see a Tufted Globetail?

Among the best

Of the 14 cities where we can rate Tufted Globetail sightings, San Diego ranks 7th 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%).

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 San Diego (52 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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