Toxomerus politus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Toxomerus politus, commonly known as the maize calligrapher, is a species of hoverfly (Diptera: Syrphidae). It is known from North, Central and South America. (see map) Although little is known about the early stages of this species, associations with corn have been noted. The adults and likely the larvae feed on the pollen of the corn plants.
For terminology, see Speight key to genera and glossary Size 8–9 mm (0.31–0.35 in) The frontal triangle is yellow, while the vertical triangle is black, pollinose in front of the ocelli, with black pile. The front in female is black, rather thickly yellowish-whitish pollinose, with narrowly yellow on the sides below the ocelli. The face is yellow, with white pollen, white pile laterally, and bare and shiny medially. The gena is also yellow. The frontal lunule is yellow, with a reddish-brown spot medially. In the female, the face is brown medially, and the frontal lunule is completely yellow. The antenna has a yellow scape and pedicel. The flagellum orange, with yellow pile. In the female the scape and pedicel have black pile and the flagellum is brown. The eye has a distinct triangular emargination on posterior... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montevideo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Cordoba | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Maize Calligrapher sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 185 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 170th most-seen of the 1807 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Maize Calligrapher in Washington on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Maize Calligrapher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 20 cities where we can rate Maize Calligrapher sightings, Washington ranks 5th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Montevideo (Uruguay, about 10%), Baltimore (United States, about 10%) and Buenos Aires (Argentina, about 10%).
Same genus: Toxomerus
The closest relatives of the Maize Calligrapher that you can see in Washington (genus Toxomerus, Calligrapher Flies) are Eastern Calligrapher (about 10%) and Margined Calligrapher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Maize Calligrapher is recorded against all the insects logged in Washington (185 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.
