314 INSECTS 



pillars and aphides. All authorities state that the larvae of Syrphus 

 destroy great quantities of aphides. Recently (April, 1919) Mr Miller 

 has obtained it from Otira Gorge. 



Syrphus fiovce-zealandia, Macq. 



First recorded in New Zealand by Mr Bigot. The species is very 

 common throughout New Zealand. It is perhaps a native species, 

 but may have been introduced from Polynesia. Very abundant during 

 the summer in Otago; but in Nelson, where the climate is more 

 equable, it occurs practically all the year round. 



Eristalis tenax, Fabr. Common Drone Fly 



Capt. Hutton thought this species came from Britain, but Mr W. W. 

 Smith believes that California was the region from which it was 

 introduced. 



Mr G. V. Hudson first noticed it in. Wellington in 1888, and 

 Mr Smith took it later in the same year at Ashburton, on the flowers 

 of Veronica Andersoni. It soon became very abundant. It usually 

 appears late in autumn (Mr Howes records it as flying in August), 

 and lasts till the end of July. Its rat-tailed larva is abundant in 

 ditches and dirty water. 



Dr Hilgendorf reports it as occurring in cess-pools and earth 

 closets, and even found alive floating in sheep-dip, where probably 

 the poisonous matters had sunk to the bottom, and the upper layers 

 were purified by addition of rain-water. 



Eristalis tenax fertilises (in Europe) the following flowers of species 

 which have been introduced into New Zealand : 



Ranunculus aquatilis, R. acris, R. repens, Sambucus nigra. 



R. bulbosus. Sherardia arvensis. 



Berberis vulgaris. Bellisperennis, Achilltea millefolium, Cni- 



Papaver somniferum. cus arvensis, C. lanceolatus, Cichorium 



Brassica Rapa, B. nigra, Sinapis arvensis, intybus, Leontodon hirtus, Hypochceris 



S. alba, Cakile maritima, Crambe mari- radicata. Taraxacum officinale, Crepis 



tima. virens, Anthemis arvensis, Matricaria 



Spergula arvensis, Stellaria graminea. inodora, Senecio jacobeea. Calendula 



Hypericum perforatum. officinalis, Carduus crispus, C. nutans, 



Lotus corniculatus , Trifolium arvense. Centaurea nigra. 



Rubus idceus, R. fruticosus, Crataegus Solanum tuberosum. 



oxyacantha, Pyrus communis, P. malus, Mentha aquatica. 



P. aucuparia, Prunus domesticus, P. Fagopyrum esculentum, Polygonum Persi- 



avium, P. cerctsus. caria. 



Ribes Grossularia. ^ Euphorbia helioscopia, E. cyperissias, E. 



(Enothera biennis. Peplus. 



Carum Petroselinum, Daucus Carota, Salix caprea. 



Scandix pecten- Veneris. Allium cepa. 

 Hedera Helix. 



Syritta oceanica, Macq. 



First recorded in New Zealand by M. Bigot (date?). 



