''Benhamyia apicalis'' is a species of

soldier fly The soldier flies (Stratiomyidae, sometimes misspelled as Stratiomyiidae, from Greek - soldier; - fly) are a family of flies (historically placed in the now-obsolete group Orthorrhapha). The family contains over 2,700 species in over 380 extan ...

described by Francis Walker in 1849, who originally called the species ''Diphysa apicalis''. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to New Zealand.

Description

Walker's original 1849 description is as follows:

Distribution

The species is endemic to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, found on both the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

and

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

Gallery

Benhamyia apicalis 338310398.jpg, ''Benhamyia apicalis'' on a tree in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

Benhamyia apicalis 2652987.jpg, Two ''Benhamyia apicalis'' mating in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

Benhamyia apicalis 137594479.jpg, Specimen from Lincoln Benhamyia apicalis 59395363.jpg, Specimen from Dunedin Benhamyia apicalis 59395368.jpg, Close-up of the wings of ''Benhamyia apicalis''

References

Stratiomyidae Diptera of New Zealand Endemic insects of New Zealand Insects described in 1849 Taxa named by Francis Walker (entomologist) {{Stratiomyidae-stub