Milesia virginiensis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Milesia virginiensis, known generally as the yellowjacket hover fly or Virginia flower fly, is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae. It measures 18–21 millimetres (0.71–0.83 in). It lives in forest edges and meadows. Adults are active mid-summer to early fall.
United States, Ontario, Canada, Mexico Adults of milesia virginiensis feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the larvae are mainly detritovores, feeding on decaying plant matter. Adult milesia virginiensis are often seen hovering around an area, making erratic shifting movements before flying away. Milesia virginiensis cannot sting and are completely harmless.
Milesia virginiensis mimics stinging yellow-jackets or European hornets in appearance to deter potential predators. Larvae resemble caterpillars with a narrow neck and a set of antennae. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Virginia Giant Hover Fly sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 138th most-seen of the 189 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Virginia Giant Hover Fly in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Virginia Giant Hover Fly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Virginia Giant Hover Fly sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Congaree National Park (United States, about 20%), Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 10%) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Virginia Giant Hover Fly 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 Florida Calligrapher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Virginia Giant Hover Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (7 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.
