Fly (Black Pasture Fly) Hydrellia tritici

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Suborder: Brachycera
Section: Schizophora
Subsection: Acalyptratae
Superfamily: Ephydroidea
Family: Ephydridae
Genus: Hydrellia
Species: H. tritici
Scientific name: Hydrellia tritici
Common name: Black Pasture Fly

Hydrellia tritici is a two-winged species of fly included in the genus Hydrellia. Hydrellia tritici was originally described from Australia where it is widespread. Hydrellia tritici has been introduced to New Zealand and it is now found throughout the country.

Hydrellia tritici is a small fly with a length of >2.3mm. The eyes are purple and the body is blackish with a metallic lustre. It has distinctive cream-coloured halteres. This fly’s larvae are leaf miners on the grasses, Poa annua, Poa trivialis and the Lolium species of grasses. It has potential to be a pest insect.

A 2 mm Black Pasture fly.
1-Black Pasture Fly Hydrellia tritici.JPG

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/