''Melangyna viridiceps'' is an Australian

hoverfly Hover flies, also called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while ...

, known as the common hover fly.

Description

It is one of the two most common hoverflies in Australia, alongside ''

Simosyrphus grandicornis ''Simosyrphus grandicornis'' is an Australasian species of hoverfly, and is one of the two most common hoverflies in Australia, alongside '' Melangyna viridiceps''. It has been introduced to a number of Polynesian Islands and Hawaii Ha ...

'', with which it has often been confused, but can be distinguished by its all black thorax.

Feeding

The adult flies feed on

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

and

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

which they gather from flowers, while the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e feed on aphids.

Distribution

It is found widely across Eastern Australia. Some sources indicate that the species is also present in

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 ...

, either on the Kermadec Islands only, or on both the Kermadecs and the mainland. Most recent sources,For example th
''New Zealand Organisms Registry''
does not list it for its New Zealand Regin (which includes the Kermadec Islands). however, do not record this species as being present outside of Australia. Miller's 1921 mention for the Kermadec was found to be a misidentification for ''

'', and Macfarlane ''et al.'' failed to cite specimens or published reports for their claim of the species' presence in the Kermadec.

References

External links

* Syrphinae Syrphini Diptera of Australasia Insects used as insect pest control agents Insects described in 1847 Taxa named by Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart {{Syrphidae-stub