Toxomerus floralis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Toxomerus floralis is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae. Its native range is from the southern US through South America. The fly has been introduced into Africa, where Cyperus rotundus is a host plant for oviposition through pupation. Mitracarpus hirtus is another known host plant for the species, making T. floralis the only species of Toxomerus with larvae known to feed on plants from different families. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Calligrapher sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 150th most-seen of the 189 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.
February–March, August and November–December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Calligrapher in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in January, April–July and September–October, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Florida Calligrapher 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 3 parks where we can rate Florida Calligrapher sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 10%) and Everglades National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Florida Calligrapher that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are White-Faced Plushback (about 10%), Northern Plushback (about 10%) and Virginia Giant Hover Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Florida Calligrapher is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (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.
