Melangyna viridiceps (Macquart, 1847)
Hover Fly
 (formerly known as Syphus viridiceps)
SYRPHIDAE,   DIPTERA
  
Don Herbison-Evans
( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
and
Stella Crossley


Hover Fly larva eating a Black Peach Aphid ( Brachycaudus persicae )
Photo: courtesy of Wendy Moore, Coburg, Victoria

These are not true Caterpillars, but are the larvae of a fly. The larvae taper in width toward the head, and are brown with a white stripe each side, and rows of white verrucae, each with a short white hair. The larvae eat other small insects such as Aphids, and grow to length of about 1 cm.


(Photo: courtesy of Mary Hynes, Girraween National Park, Queensland)

The adult flies have flat but arched, brown and yellow banded bodies, and appear to mimic bees, but only have two wings (bees have four). Like bees, the flies feed on nectar from flowers, and hover over the flowers before landing.


(Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/CNC/CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The species haas been found over much of Australia, for example :

  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales,
  • Victoria,
  • Tasmania,
  • South Australia, and
  • Western Australia.

    Further reading :

    Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart,
    Diptères exotiques nouveaux ou peu connus,
    [2.e supplément, 1847]. Paris : Roret p. 61, pls 1–6.

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    (written 5 April 2025, updated 8 April 2025)