Lucilia illustris
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Lucilia illustris is a member of the fly family Calliphoridae, commonly known as a blow fly. Along with several other species, L. illustris is commonly referred to as a green bottle fly. Lucilia illustris is typically 6–9 mm in length and has a metallic blue-green thorax. The larvae develop in three instars, each with unique developmental properties. The adult fly typically will feed on flowers, but the females need some sort of carrion protein in order to breed and lay eggs.
Due to the predictable nature of development, L. illustris is often used by forensic entomologists to determine time and place of death. Medically, L. illustris is often used for maggot debridement therapy because it only causes myiasis in necrotic tissue. Lucilia illustris was first described by the German entomologist Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1826. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin word "illustris", meaning "brilliant".
Lucilia illustris is 6–9 mm in length. Its bucca (cheeks) are colored black with slightly gray pollinose and black hairs. The first segment of the antenna is black; the second generally orange-tipped, and the third segment is about three times the length of the second... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Illustrious Greenbottle Fly sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 920th most-seen of the 1807 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Illustrious Greenbottle Fly in Washington on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Illustrious Greenbottle 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 6 cities where we can rate Illustrious Greenbottle Fly sightings, Washington ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Illustrious Greenbottle Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Washington (21 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.
