About Melangyna viridiceps (Macquart, 1847)
This species is one of the two most common hoverflies in Australia, alongside Simosyrphus grandicornis. It has often been confused with Simosyrphus grandicornis, but can be distinguished from that species by its entirely black thorax. M. viridiceps can reach a body length of up to 1 centimeter. This hoverfly is widely distributed across Eastern Australia. Some sources have noted that the species is also present in New Zealand, either only on the Kermadec Islands, or on both the Kermadec Islands and the New Zealand mainland. Most recent sources, however, do not record this species as occurring outside Australia. Miller's 1921 mention of this species from the Kermadec Islands was determined to be a misidentification of Simosyrphus grandicornis, and Macfarlane et al. did not cite any specimens or published reports to support their claim that the species is present in the Kermadec Islands.
