Common Hover Fly - Melangyna viridiceps

This page contains pictures and information about Common Hover Flies that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.

 

Body length 10mm

 

Common Hover Flies may sometimes confused with bees or wasps because of their mimic colour. Their bodies are medium to slender.  On their abdomen there are the yellow-black wasps pattern and the narrow waist mimic pattern. Common Hover Flies visit  flowers as bees and wasps.  They are usually seen hovering or resting on flowers. The flies feed on nectar and are the pollinators of plants as well. 

 

 

Common Hover Fly rests on stick during the evening.

 

We sometimes find this Hover fly hovering among the hibiscus plants in our backyard searching for aphids.  Their larvae are the predator of aphids.  

 

 

Male and female Common Hover Flies

 

After mating, female Common Hover Fly look for the good site to lay her eggs. Usually somewhere near the aphids feeding place.

 

 

Larvae feeding on aphids, body length 10mm.        length 12mm

 

Aphid-eating hover fly larvae are legless and maggot-like. They are creamy-white to brown in colour, the above picture shows the larvae is searching  its prey in a aphids colony.  

 

 

Pupa, length 8mm 

 

They pupate on the stem of plants which is dark brown in colour. 

 

 

Just came out from pupa                                        

 

They turn into adults in about a week. The adults are yellow and black in colour look like bees or a wasps. They have the typical fly head with large pair of red compound eyes and very short antenna.

 

 

 

We found that the Hover Flies could be parasited by Ichneumon Wasp. More information found in the Ichneumon Wasp page.

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Last updated: December 22, 2004.