Melangyna viridiceps
Species of fly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melangyna viridiceps is an Australian hoverfly, known as the common hover fly.[2]
| Melangyna viridiceps | |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Syrphidae |
| Genus: | Melangyna |
| Species: | M. viridiceps |
| Binomial name | |
| Melangyna viridiceps | |
Description
It is one of the two most common hoverflies in Australia, alongside Simosyrphus grandicornis,[3] with which it has often been confused,[4] but can be distinguished by its all black thorax.[5]
M. viridiceps has a body up to 1 cm in length.[6]
Feeding
Distribution
It is found widely across Eastern Australia.
Some sources indicate that the species is also present in New Zealand, either on the Kermadec Islands only,[8] or on both the Kermadecs and the mainland.[9] Most recent sources,[10] 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 Simosyrphus grandicornis,[4] and Macfarlane et al.[8] failed to cite specimens or published reports for their claim of the species' presence in the Kermadec.
