Bug FAQHelophilus antipodus
Helophilus antipodus · Order: Diptera · Family: Syrphidae
Helophilus antipodus is a hoverfly native to New Zealand and its sub-antarctic islands. Adults feed on flower nectar and act as pollinators, including for the native orchid Dendrobium cunninghamii. It can be told apart by a yellow front tibia with a black band, all-black hind femora, and darkened wing veins.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The hind femur is completely black. Wing veins are black and slightly darkened.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It belongs to the flower-fly genus Helophilus in the Syrphidae family. On the mainland it visits and pollinates the endemic orchid Dendrobium cunninghamii.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adult flies feed on nectar and act as pollinators. They specifically pollinate the native orchid Dendrobium cunninghamii on the mainland.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is endemic to New Zealand and occurs throughout the country. It is also recorded on several sub-antarctic islands such as the Auckland and Campbell Islands.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I identify Helophilus antipodus?
Look for a yellow front tibia with a black band, all-black hind femora, and darkened wing veins.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does Helophilus antipodus live?
It is found across New Zealand and on sub-antarctic islands like the Auckland and Campbell Islands.
Source: Wikipedia
What does this hoverfly eat?
Adults feed on flower nectar and serve as pollinators, including for the orchid Dendrobium cunninghamii.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Syrphidae)
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Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helophilus_antipodus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.