Temnostoma alternans
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Temnostoma alternans (Loew, 1864), the Wasp-like falsehorn, is a common species of syrphid fly observed throughout the northern and central United States and widespread in Canada. Hoverflies can remain nearly motionless in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. Larvae burrow in moist decayed wood. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wasp-Like Falsehorn sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 651st most-seen of the 1689 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.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Wasp-Like Falsehorn in Toronto on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wasp-Like Falsehorn sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Toronto, in our data
Toronto is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Wasp-Like Falsehorn sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Wasp-Like Falsehorn that you can see in Toronto (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are Eastern Calligrapher (about 10%), Margined Calligrapher (about 10%) and Transverse-Banded Flower Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wasp-Like Falsehorn is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (22 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.
