Oxysarcodexia varia
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Oxysarcodexia varia, commonly known by the name striped dung fly, is a species of insect in the family Sarcophagidae. It is found in parts of South America, Polynesia, Norfolk Island, and New Zealand. The thorax of the fly is stripped from the head to tail with black and yellow stripes, the fly's legs are bristly and almost look fluffy. They look very much like the European flesh fly and share similar traits.
The Striped dung fly is considered to have originated South America and is now present across Oceania. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Fiji, French Polynesia, Norfolk Island and New Zealand. The striped dung fly has been found throughout New Zealand and with a higher abundance of observations on the North Island. These sightings include Sutton Lake, Hurford, Otago, Kaikoura, Kerikeri, Tasman, Taranaki, Manawatū, Rotarua Island, Ruahine Ranges, Omaha Beach and Purakaunui.
The striped dung fly is found around the summer months and is commonly found in rubbish, long grasses and flowers. Their main habitat is open pastures and farms. This is due to the animal dung and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Dung Fly sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 108th most-seen of the 201 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.
February
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Dung Fly in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to January, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Striped Dung Fly 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 2 parks where we can rate Striped Dung Fly sightings, Fiordland National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Egmont National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).
Same order: Diptera
The closest relatives of the Striped Dung Fly that you can see in Fiordland National Park (order Diptera, Flies) are New Zealand Glowworm (about 20%), New Zealand Blue Blowfly (about 10%) and Large Hover Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Striped Dung Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Fiordland National Park (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
