| Helophilus antipodus | |
|---|---|
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| Adult of Helophilus antipodus from North Island, New Zealand | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Syrphidae |
| Genus: | Helophilus |
| Species: | H. antipodus |
| Binomial name | |
| Helophilus antipodus Schiner, 1868 | |
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| Distribution map of Inaturalist H. antipodus sighting | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
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Helophilus antipodus is an endemic species of hoverfly observed throughout New Zealand . It belongs to the genus Helophilus in the family Syrphidae (flower flies). The adults are pollinators.
This species was first described by Schiner in 1868 from a single female from Auckland New Zealand. [2] In 1901, Hutton named this species as Helophilus vicinus using male specimens from Chatham Islands. [3] In 1909, Lamb used a female specimen from Campbell islands to describe Helophilus interruptus. [4] In 1921, Miller clarified that there was just one species; Helophilus antipodus. [5] [6]
Front tibia is yellow, with a black ring at the end. Hind femur are all black. Wing-viens black, and slightly infusecate. [4] Campared with Helophilus montanus , their Lateral ocelli is closer to eyes than to each other; oral margin is not strongly produced; they are larger and more robust flies. [7] Similar in appearance to the New Zealand three-lined hoverfly ( Helophilus seelandicus ) [8]
Helophilus antipodus is found over much of New Zealand including many subantartic Islands (Auckland Islands, Campbell islands). [6]
On the mainland this fly is a pollinator of the endemic orchid Dendrobium cunninghamii. [9]