Giant Western Crane Fly

Giant Western Crane Fly

Holorusia hespera

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Seattle

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

43 Verified sightings at Seattle
29 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Giant Western Crane Fly

Holorusia hespera, the giant western crane fly, is a species of crane fly in the family Tipulidae. It is found in western North America. H. hespera is the largest North American species of cranefly, with wings reaching lengths of 40 mm (1.6 in). The species is noted to lack wing interference patterning on the glossy amber colored wing surface, suggested to be a result of the wing thickness. The wing surfaces are textured with ridging and folds and the coloration is uniform across the wing. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
3 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Giant Western Crane Fly in Seattle?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Western Crane Fly sighting in Seattle on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 121st most-seen of the 428 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.

When is the best time to see a Giant Western Crane Fly in Seattle?

June to September

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Western Crane Fly in Seattle on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months. Those are among Seattle's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain a month against 190 mm in November.

What time of day is best to see a Giant Western Crane Fly?

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Giant Western Crane Fly sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Seattle the best place to see a Giant Western Crane Fly?

Yes

Of the 6 cities where we can rate Giant Western Crane Fly sightings, Seattle has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Vancouver (Canada, under 5%) and Portland (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Giant Western Crane Fly sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Giant Western Crane Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Seattle (43 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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