Melanostoma fasciatum
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Melanostoma fasciatum is a species of hoverfly found in New Zealand, where it is common in agricultural fields and gardens. Locally dense populations of this hoverfly species might effectively reduce pest infestation. Hence, they are perhaps an effective natural and non-toxic bioagent that may control and reduce aphid and small caterpillar populations.
Melanostoma fasciatum was first described in 1850 by Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart as Plesia fasciata. In 1860, Plesia was recognised as a synonym of Melanostoma. Plesia fasciata was then renamed as Melanostoma fasciatum. In 1901, Melanostoma apertum was described from a single specimen from Christchurch. This was later recognised to be a synonym of M. fasciatum.
The adults have a similar appearance to that of Melangyna novaezelandiae, another endemic hoverfly of New Zealand. The body is glossy black but the abdomen has three pairs of yellow patches on three segments. While stationary, the wings are folded over the abdomen. The compound eyes are relatively large and are coloured dark red.
Larvae are legless and are initially pale after hatching from their egg, but will darken as they undergo molts. The... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Hover Fly sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 78 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 88th most-seen of the 689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Small Hover Fly in Auckland on a given day, against about 10% in December to October, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Hover Fly sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Auckland, in our data
Auckland is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Small Hover Fly sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Syrphidae
The closest relatives of the Small Hover Fly that you can see in Auckland (family Syrphidae, Hover Flies) are Common Drone Fly (about 20%) and Large Hover Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small Hover Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (78 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
