Eristalis nemorum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Eristalis nemorum is a species of hoverfly. It is found in the Palearctic (Fennoscandia South to Iberia, the Balkans and Italy, Ireland eastwards through Central Europe into Turkey and Russia and on into the Russian Far East, Siberia and Japan) and in the Nearctic (Quebec south to Colorado).
External images For terms, see: Morphology of Diptera. Wing length: 8.25–10.5 mm (0.325–0.413 in). All tarsi are extensively black. Body-hairs are short. Arista plumose basal half. Densely dusted face has a black shining stripe. Hind femora are black in male. Wings are hyaline with quadrate brownish pterostigma (basal to merge of vein sc with costa). Body is yellow-haired. Hind metatarsi are darkened.
The male genitalia are figured by Hippa et al. (2001). The larva is figured by Hartley (1961). The larvae are aquatic, and of the Rat-tailed maggot type. Adults are often seen visiting flowers. Flight period in the United Kingdom is from April to October, peaking around July and August. The males show a characteristic courtship display, hovering above a foraging female for minutes.
When many males are present two or more males may hover above one female.... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 2 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 3 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 5 | Essen | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 9 | Brussels | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 10 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Orange-Spined Drone Fly sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 422nd most-seen of the 818 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.
June to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Orange-Spined Drone Fly in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Orange-Spined Drone Fly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Orange-Spined Drone Fly sightings, Wadden Sea National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, under 5%).
Same genus: Eristalis
The closest relatives of the Orange-Spined Drone Fly that you can see in Wadden Sea National Park (genus Eristalis, Drone Flies) are Common Drone Fly (about 20%), Tapered Drone Fly (about 10%) and Furry Dronefly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Orange-Spined Drone Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Wadden Sea National Park (10 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.
