Common Snipe Fly

Common Snipe Fly

Rhagio mystaceus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Gros Morne National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

9 Verified sightings at Gros Morne National Park From 2019 to 2026
71 In all 5 parks
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Snipe Fly

Rhagio mystaceus, also known as the down-looker fly, downlooker snipefly and common snipe fly, is a species of fly from the family Rhagionidae. Rhagio mystaceus has an overall dark color, with males growing to 7–9 mm, and females reaching 6–8 mm. The thorax has three dark dorsal stripes. Normally, the center stripe has a very thin, pale line running down the middle. On the abdomen, there are yellowish rings at the posterior of the segments. However, the basal segment on some specimens are mostly yellowish and have a black dorsal and lateral spot.

The wings are patterned, with dark tips. The fly is found in middle and eastern North America, east of the Great Plains. Media related to Rhagio mystaceus at Wikimedia Commons Images Images Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
7 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Snipe Fly in Gros Morne National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Snipe Fly sighting in Gros Morne National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 41st most-seen of the 83 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Snipe Fly in Gros Morne National Park?

June

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Snipe Fly in Gros Morne National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Common Snipe Fly?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Snipe 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.

Is Gros Morne National Park the best place to see a Common Snipe Fly?

Yes

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Common Snipe Fly sightings, Gros Morne National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Canada, about 10%) and Acadia National Park (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Common Snipe Fly live in Gros Morne National Park?

Same order: Diptera

The closest relatives of the Common Snipe Fly that you can see in Gros Morne National Park (order Diptera, Flies) are Melanostoma mellina (about 10%), Phytomyza ranunculi (about 10%) and Narrow-Banded Pond Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Snipe Fly sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Snipe Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Gros Morne National Park (9 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.

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