Trivittate Marsh Fly

Trivittate Marsh Fly

Helophilus trivittatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Wadden Sea National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

82 Verified sightings at Wadden Sea National Park From 2019 to 2026
128 In all 6 parks
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Trivittate Marsh Fly

Helophilus trivittatus is a species of Palearctic hoverfly. The scientific genus name is composed of the parts helos (ἕλος, gr.), meaning "marsh" and philos (φίλος, gr.) meaning "friend". The species name is composed by "tri" (lat.), meaning "three" and "vitta" (lat.) meaning "band". This name refer to the preference of these insects for moist areas and to the fact that they carry three stripes on the breast shield.

For terms see Morphology of Diptera Helophilus trivittatus has a wing length of 10.25–12.25 millimetres (0.404–0.482 in). The eyes are separated in both sexes, in the male a little less than in the female. The antennae are black, Face shows a wide yellow longitudinal stripe, with at most a central reddish-brown stripe. On the thorax four narrow pale yellow stripes alternate with three larger dark brown stripes. The drawing of the flattened abdomen is reminiscent of a wasp.

The drawing of the third and fourth segments of the abdomen is different in the two sexes. In the male, only the third segment carries a pale yellow to gray arc line. In the female, such a curve is found on the fourth and the fifth tergite. Tergites 2 and 3 have pale... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
2 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
3 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
4 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
5 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
~10%
6 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Warsaw 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
2 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~10%
3 Hamburg 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
4 Amsterdam 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~10%
5 Rotterdam [The Hague] 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~10%
6 Munich 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
7 Copenhagen 🇩🇰 Denmark
~10%
8 Budapest 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
9 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
10 Brussels 🇧🇪 Belgium
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Trivittate Marsh Fly in Wadden Sea National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Trivittate Marsh Fly sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 82 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 36th most-seen of the 818 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.

When is the best time to see a Trivittate Marsh Fly in Wadden Sea National Park?

August and September

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Trivittate Marsh Fly in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Trivittate Marsh Fly?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Trivittate Marsh Fly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Wadden Sea National Park the best place to see a Trivittate Marsh Fly?

2nd of 6

Of the 6 parks where we can rate Trivittate Marsh Fly sightings, Wadden Sea National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 20%).

Where does the Trivittate Marsh Fly sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Trivittate Marsh Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Wadden Sea National Park (82 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.

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