Helophilus antipodus
Helophilus antipodus is an endemic species of hoverfly observed throughout New Zealand. It belongs to the genus Helophilus in the family Syrphidae. The adults are pollinators.
Taxonomy
This species was first described by Schiner in 1868 from a single female from Auckland New Zealand. In 1901, Hutton named this species as Helophilus vicinus using male specimens from Chatham Islands. In 1909, Lamb used a female specimen from Campbell islands to describe Helophilus interruptus. In 1921, Miller clarified that there was just one species; Helophilus antipodus.Description
Front tibia is yellow, with a black ring at the end. Hind femur are all black. Wing-viens black, and slightly infusecate. 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. Similar in appearance to the New Zealand three-lined hoverflyDistribution
Helophilus antipodus is found over much of New Zealand including many subantartic Islands.On the mainland this fly is a pollinator of the endemic orchid ''Dendrobium cunninghamii.''