Eristalis anthophorina
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Eristalis anthophorina, the orange-spotted drone fly, is a species of syrphid fly with a Holarctic distribution. It is a common fly in wetlands, including bogs, fens, and woodland pools. In North America, it occurs throughout much of Canada and primarily in the northern parts of the United States. It may be introduced in North America.
This species is Holarctic in distribution. It is widely distributed worldwide in northern North American and Europe. It is a common in wetlands, including bogs, fens, and woodland pools. In North America, it occurs throughout much of Canada and primarily in the northern parts of the United States. It may be introduced in North America.
external map This fly can easily be confused with bumblebees. It reaches around 15 mm (0.6 in) in length. Head The face is reddish-yellow pollinose, with white pilose sides and a shining black median stripe and with black broadly on the cheeks (gena). The antennae are black with the arista reddish and pubescent near the base. The eyes are completely pilose, holoptic in the male.
Thorax The thorax is black with long yellow hairs. The scutellum is wholly yellow, densely covered with... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Orange-Spotted Drone Fly sighting in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 28th most-seen of the 107 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.
September
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Orange-Spotted Drone Fly in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Orange-Spotted Drone 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.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Orange-Spotted Drone Fly sightings, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Kluane National Park (Canada, about 20%).
Same genus: Eristalis
The closest relatives of the Orange-Spotted Drone Fly that you can see in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (genus Eristalis, Drone Flies) are Common Drone Fly (about 30%) and Black-Footed Drone Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Orange-Spotted Drone Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (29 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.
