Small Hover Fly

Melanostoma fasciatum, endemic to New Zealand.

Warm sunshine brought out dozens of these tiny hover flies. They measure 5-6 mm, half the size of the usual hover flies. They are more colorful than our normal sized native, which has thin cream stripes. These have three pairs of gold coloured patches on the abdomen and a shiny bronze green thorax. They behave exactly the same as the big ones. The flies eat nectar and the larvae eat aphids, making them the gardener's friend.