Holorusia hespera
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Holorusia hespera, the giant western crane fly, is a species of crane fly in the family Tipulidae. It is found in western North America. H. hespera is the largest North American species of cranefly, with wings reaching lengths of 40 mm (1.6 in). The species is noted to lack wing interference patterning on the glossy amber colored wing surface, suggested to be a result of the wing thickness. The wing surfaces are textured with ridging and folds and the coloration is uniform across the wing. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Western Crane Fly sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 54th most-seen of the 161 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Western Crane Fly in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, against under 5% in October to February, the lowest months. That is one of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain against 10 mm in September.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Giant Western Crane Fly sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Giant Western Crane Fly sightings, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Yosemite National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Diptera
The closest relatives of the Giant Western Crane Fly that you can see in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (order Diptera, Flies) are Common Loopwing Aphideater (about 10%), Black-Footed Drone Fly (about 10%) and Large-Tailed Aphideater (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Giant Western Crane Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (12 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.
