Cimbex americana
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Cimbex americanus, the elm sawfly, is a species of sawfly in the family Cimbicidae. This is a very large species of Hymenoptera, with adults measuring 3 cm and larvae reaching 5 cm long. If captured, adults may buzz and use their powerful spiny legs defensively. However, like other sawflies, this species does not possess a sting. The wasp Opheltes glaucopterus is a parasite of the prepupae stage of this sawfly. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cimbex americana sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 276th most-seen of the 822 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.
May, July and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cimbex americana in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, August–September and November–April, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cimbex americana sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Cimbex americana sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Kenai Fjords National Park (United States, about 20%), Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Canada, about 10%) and Denali National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Hymenoptera
The closest relatives of the Cimbex americana that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Common Eastern Bumble Bee (about 40%), Eastern Carpenter Bee (about 30%) and European Hornet (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cimbex americana is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (18 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.
