Western Aphideater

Western Aphideater

Eupeodes fumipennis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Joshua Tree National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

6 Verified sightings at Joshua Tree National Park From 2019 to 2026
45 In all 6 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Western Aphideater

Eupeodes fumipennis, the western aphideater, is a species of hover fly in the family Syrphidae. As the common name implies, larvae prey on plant-sucking insects, primarily aphids. Like other members of the family, adults often hover over the plants they visit. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Calgary 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
9 Salt Lake City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Phoenix 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Western Aphideater in Joshua Tree National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Western Aphideater sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 147th most-seen of the 190 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Western Aphideater in Joshua Tree National Park?

February and April–May

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Aphideater in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March and June–January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Western Aphideater?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Aphideater sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Joshua Tree National Park the best place to see a Western Aphideater?

4th of 6

Of the 6 parks where we can rate Western Aphideater sightings, Joshua Tree National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Channel Islands National Park (United States, about 10%), Great Bear Rainforest (Canada, about 10%) and Banff National Park (Canada, about 10%).

Where does the Western Aphideater sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Western Aphideater is recorded against all the insects logged in Joshua Tree National Park (6 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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