Rhamphomyia longicauda
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Rhamphomyia longicauda, the long-tailed dance fly, is a species of fly commonly found in eastern North America that belongs to the family Empididae and part of the superfamily of dance flies Empidoidea. It is included in the subgenus Rhamphomyia. This species of fly is most known for sex role reversal during courtship, as females put on exaggerated displays and congregate in leks to attract males. Females cannot hunt for food, so they receive protein from nuptial gifts brought to them by males. Female dependence on males for nutrition is the principal cause for sex role reversal in this species of fly.
While this fly species is termed the long-tailed dance fly and its Latin nomenclature resembles the same meaning (Rhamphomyia = "crooked fly;" longicauda = longtailed), the "tail" actually references the male genitalia, which forms an elbowed erection towards the rear of the abdomen.
Common to many male Diptera, the dorsal section of the eyes is larger than the ventral section. The lengthened dorsal section, in addition to shortened wings, aids the male's ability to approach the female from beneath during mating.
Females have black scales that... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Long-Tailed Dance Fly sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 851st 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 a Long-Tailed Dance Fly in Washington on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Long-Tailed Dance Fly sightings, Washington ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, under 5%) and Montreal (Canada, under 5%).
Same order: Diptera
The closest relatives of the Long-Tailed Dance Fly that you can see in Washington (order Diptera, Flies) are Eastern Calligrapher (about 10%), Margined Calligrapher (about 10%) and Common Picture-Winged Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Long-Tailed Dance Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Washington (28 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.
