Three-lined Hover Fly

Helophilus seelandicus · Order: Diptera · Family: Syrphidae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Three-lined Hover Fly
Photo: Steve Kerr, CC BY

The adult is about 15 mm long. It gets its name from three black lines behind the head. It is native only to New Zealand. Its larvae live in water with decaying plant material, animal matter or dung.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Three black lines are visible just behind the head.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Adults measure roughly 15 mm in length.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Maggots develop in watery habitats containing decaying vegetation, animal remains or dung.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

The species is endemic to New Zealand.

Source: Wikipedia

Questions people ask

How big is the three-lined hover fly?

Adults are about 15 mm long.

Source: Wikipedia

Why is it called the three-lined hover fly?

The name refers to three black lines behind its head.

Source: Wikipedia

Where is this hover fly found?

It is only found in New Zealand.

Source: Wikipedia

Where do the larvae live?

The maggots live in water with decaying plant material, animal matter or dung.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Syrphidae)

Common Drone FlyCommon Drone FlyEristalis tenaxHarmlessMarmalade Hover FlyMarmalade Hover FlyEpisyrphus balteatusMargined CalligrapherMargined CalligrapherToxomerus marginatusEastern CalligrapherEastern CalligrapherToxomerus geminatusYellow-haired Sun FlyYellow-haired Sun FlyMyathropa floreaThick-legged Hover FlyThick-legged Hover FlySyritta pipiens

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helophilus_seelandicus

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.

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