Eristalis tenax
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Eristalis tenax, the common drone fly, is a common, migratory, cosmopolitan species of hover fly. It is the most widely distributed syrphid species in the world, and is known from all regions except the Antarctic. It has been introduced into North America and is widely established. It can be found in gardens and fields in Europe and Australia. It has also been found in the Himalayas.
The larval form of the drone-fly, the rat-tailed maggot, is found on every continent except Antarctica, and ranges to the highest latitudes in the North. This species is not prevalent in extremely southern latitudes, neither is it common in arid areas of Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the United States, this species is found as far north as Alaska and as far south as California and Florida.
Eristalis tenax is a large, stocky bee mimic. The eyes are marbled in black. Males have hovering displays. The average wing length is 9.75–13 mm and their average wingspan is 15 mm. The exact appearance of the drone fly can vary considerably. The abdomen can vary in color from dark brown to orange. Pigmentation has an important role in the control of body temperature; the black areas... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arequipa | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 7 | Warsaw | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 8 | Baku | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | |
| 9 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 10 | Turin | 🇮🇹 Italy |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Drone Fly sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 238th most-seen of the 742 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.
November and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Drone Fly in Sydney on a given day, against under 5% in January to October, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Drone Fly sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
104th of 107
Of the 107 cities where we can rate Common Drone Fly sightings, Sydney ranks 104th at under 5%. The best odds are in Arequipa (Peru, about 40%), Quito (Ecuador, about 30%) and Toluca (México, about 30%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Common Drone Fly that you can see in Sydney (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are Yellow-Shouldered Stout Hover Fly (about 10%) and Native Drone Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Drone Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Sydney (34 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.
