Belligerent Hoverfly

I was sitting in the sunshine by the apple tree, watching a bumblebee visiting the blossoms. Suddenly a hoverfly, like the one pictured, darted up, hovered for a moment behind the bumblebee and then attacked! The bee seemed not to notice the tiny 1cm fly. Not at all discouraged the fly paused in the air and charged again. This time the bee turned slightly with a leg raised to ward off the attack. But the hoverfly darted to the other side and hit the bee in the back again. This time the bee lifted off the flower to protect itself, but the fly was too swift. One more assault and the bee bumbled off. The hoverfly claimed the prize. I can’t think what was so special about that particular blossom among hundreds of others.

New Zealand hoverfly, Melangyna novaezelandiae.