Chalcosyrphus chalybeus
In 3 days ~10%
Chalcosyrphus (Xylotomima) chalybeus (Weidemann, 1830), the violet leafwalker, is a fairly common species of syrphid fly observed in the Northeastern United States. 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. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Violet Leafwalker sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1424th most-seen of the 1807 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Violet Leafwalker in Washington on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Violet Leafwalker 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 3 cities where we can rate Violet Leafwalker sightings, Washington ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Montreal (Canada, under 5%) and Toronto (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Violet Leafwalker that you can see in Washington (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 Violet Leafwalker is recorded against all the insects logged in Washington (7 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.
