Common Drone Fly
Eristalis (Eristalis) tenax (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common Drone Fly in all of OhioIntroduced and invasive status
Introduced in Ohio: iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Also listed
- Introduced in the lower 48 states (listed as Eristalis tenax)
iNaturalist's volunteer curators list it as introduced in their Ohio checklist.
Status: Simpson A, Sellers E, Pagad S (2023). United States Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (US-RIIS), ver. 2.0. U.S. Geological Survey, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9KFFTOD (opens in a new tab)
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 0 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (34)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (50)
- Recorded, season not shown (4)
- Season shown (0)
Counties as a table
| County | Records |
|---|---|
| Adams County | No qualifying records yet |
| Allen County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashtabula County | 25 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Athens County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Auglaize County | No qualifying records yet |
| Belmont County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Brown County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Butler County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Carroll County | No qualifying records yet |
| Champaign County | No qualifying records yet |
| Clark County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Clermont County | No qualifying records yet |
| Clinton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Columbiana County | No qualifying records yet |
| Coshocton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Crawford County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Cuyahoga County | 25 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Darke County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Defiance County | No qualifying records yet |
| Delaware County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Erie County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Fairfield County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Fayette County | No qualifying records yet |
| Franklin County | 32 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Fulton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Gallia County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Geauga County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Greene County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Guernsey County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hamilton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hancock County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hardin County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Harrison County | No qualifying records yet |
| Henry County | No qualifying records yet |
| Highland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hocking County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Holmes County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Huron County | No qualifying records yet |
| Jackson County | No qualifying records yet |
| Jefferson County | No qualifying records yet |
| Knox County | No qualifying records yet |
| Lake County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lawrence County | No qualifying records yet |
| Licking County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Logan County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lorain County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lucas County | 25 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Madison County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Mahoning County | No qualifying records yet |
| Marion County | No qualifying records yet |
| Medina County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Meigs County | No qualifying records yet |
| Mercer County | No qualifying records yet |
| Miami County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Monroe County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Montgomery County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Morgan County | No qualifying records yet |
| Morrow County | No qualifying records yet |
| Muskingum County | No qualifying records yet |
| Noble County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ottawa County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Paulding County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Perry County | No qualifying records yet |
| Pickaway County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Pike County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Portage County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Preble County | No qualifying records yet |
| Putnam County | No qualifying records yet |
| Richland County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ross County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Sandusky County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Scioto County | No qualifying records yet |
| Seneca County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Shelby County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Stark County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Summit County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Trumbull County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Tuscarawas County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Union County | No qualifying records yet |
| Van Wert County | No qualifying records yet |
| Vinton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Warren County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Washington County | No qualifying records yet |
| Wayne County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Williams County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wood County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wyandot County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Ashtabula County
Not enough evidence
Records per week from 25 records in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Common Drone Fly | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
| Apr 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 136 |
| Apr 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 175 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 0 | 0 | 244 |
| May 3–9 | 0 | 0 | 285 |
| May 10–16 | 0 | 0 | 238 |
| May 17–23 | 0 | 0 | 218 |
| May 24–30 | 1 | 1 | 359 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 0 | 0 | 407 |
| Jun 7–13 | 0 | 0 | 483 |
| Jun 14–20 | 1 | 1 | 627 |
| Jun 21–27 | 5 | 2 | 341 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 3 | 3 | 669 |
| Jul 5–11 | 1 | 1 | 565 |
| Jul 12–18 | 1 | 1 | 828 |
| Jul 19–25 | 3 | 2 | 1,038 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 0 | 0 | 623 |
| Aug 2–8 | 1 | 1 | 706 |
| Aug 9–15 | 0 | 0 | 686 |
| Aug 16–22 | 0 | 0 | 352 |
| Aug 23–29 | 0 | 0 | 611 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 1 | 1 | 653 |
| Sep 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 526 |
| Sep 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 310 |
| Sep 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 200 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 0 | 0 | 280 |
| Oct 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 276 |
| Oct 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 175 |
| Oct 18–24 | 3 | 2 | 175 |
| Oct 25–31 | 1 | 1 | 123 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 46 |
| Nov 8–14 | 3 | 1 | 95 |
| Nov 15–21 | 1 | 1 | 26 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Reported as an adult
No records here are marked as adults yet, so there is no adult season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
Reported as a larva
No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
In Ohio
Late May to early November, middle week Jul 5–11
Records per week from 464 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 327 dates. Latest record: November 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Common Drone Fly | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 1 | 1 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 1 | 1 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 1 | 1 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 1 | 1 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 1 | 1 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 2 | 2 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 0 | 0 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 2 | 2 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 6 | 2 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 19 | 4 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 40 | 8 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 35 | 9 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 45 | 9 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 54 | 8 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 38 | 9 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 39 | 7 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 20 | 8 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 13 | 8 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 8 | 4 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 8 | 5 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 2 | 2 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 5 | 4 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 3 | 2 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 5 | 4 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 3 | 3 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 5 | 3 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 6 | 6 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 9 | 5 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 13 | 8 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 16 | 5 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 19 | 8 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 18 | 8 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 18 | 6 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 6 | 4 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 1 | 1 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 1 | 1 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 8,459 |
Reported as an adult
Usually reported as an adult late May to late July, middle week late June, and again late August to early November, middle week late October.
Reported as a larva
Only 1 records here are marked as larvae, too few to show a larva season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Relatives
In the same genus
Other Eristalis recorded in Ashtabula County
Identification
How to identify it
Often confused with
- Western Honey Bee Apis melliferaOften confused in Ohio: 27 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Eurasian Drone Fly Eristalis (Eoseristalis) arbustorum506 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Transverse-banded Flower Fly Eristalis (Eoseristalis) transversa47 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Narcissus Bulb Fly Merodon (Albimerodon) equestris36 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Developed | 74%49% |
| Farmland | 16%11% |
| Forest | 7%31% |
| Wetland | 3%5% |
| Barren | 0.4%0.6% |
| Open water | 0.4%3% |
From 241 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Where these results come from
- Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
- Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
- See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.
Records behind the Ohio result
464 records from 2 datasets.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 432 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
- iNaturalist observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 32 recordsiNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 2026-11-13
To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.