Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Syrphidae
Subfamily: Syrphinae
Tribe: Bacchini
Genus: Melanostoma
Species: M. fasciatum
Binomial name: Melanostoma fasciatum
Common name: Small Hover Fly
Melanostoma fasciatum is very similar in appearance to the large hoverfly, Melangyna novaezealandiae but is smaller and has larger yellow patches on the upper (dorsal) side of the abdomen. This endemic hoverfly is present throughout New Zealand, where it occurs in grassland, vegetable crops, field crops, cereals, gardens and other habitats with low growing vegetation. It is a useful biological control agent in many commercial and domestic crops. Adults feed on nectar and pollen from flowers and their larvae feed on aphids, caterpillars and other small insects.
For more details visit:
http://nzacfactsheets.landcareresearch.co.nz/factsheet/InterestingInsects/Small-hoverfly---Melanostoma-fasciatum.html
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
