Spilomyia longicornis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Spilomyia longicornis is a species of syrphid fly, also known as a flower fly or hoverfly, in the family Syrphidae. Although the appearance of S. longicornis is remarkably similar to a vespid wasp, it is a fly and cannot sting. It occurs in North America, east of the Rocky Mountains.
S. longicornis is typically 11–15 millimeters long. S. longicornis has a black body with yellow markings and stripes on its abdomen. Its wings are mostly clear with a dark tinge, and the anterior portion of the wings are typically darker brown in colour. The back four legs are yellowish in colour, and the front two legs are yellow at the base and black at the ends. They tend to rest on their back four legs and move their front two legs above their head, making them appear like antennae on the Hymenoptera species that they mimic.
S. longicornis flies are part of the Syrphidae family, which is of the order Diptera. The hoverfly family is one of the most diverse in the Diptera order. There are at least 200 genera and 5000 species included in this family.
S. longicornis is widespread in eastern North America. These flies can be found near and around... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Hornet Fly sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 148 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 164th most-seen of the 1689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August to October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Hornet Fly in Toronto on a given day, against under 5% in November to July, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Hornet Fly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 12 cities where we can rate Eastern Hornet Fly sightings, Toronto ranks 5th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Boston (United States, about 10%), Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%) and Montreal (Canada, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eastern Hornet Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (148 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.
