1001.] 217 



AN ADDITION TO THE RHYNCHOTAL FAUNA OF NEW ZEALAND 

 (HENICO CEPHA L US MA CLA CHLA NI) . 



BY &. W. KIRKALDT, F.E.S. 



The genus Henicocephalus forms by itself an isolated division of 

 the great predaceous family Reduviidce, characterized by the structure 

 of the thorax, wings and legs. The Henicocephalince and the Nahince 

 are the only Reduviid divisions in which the presternum is not modi- 

 fied for stridulatory purposes. The typical and only genus was 

 founded under the name of Enicocephalus by Westwood in 18^37*, for 

 four species, one of which was obtained from anime.f The genus is 

 almost cosmopolitan, the nineteen species now known having been 

 described from North, Central, and South America, Hercegovina, 

 India, Ceylon, Tasmania, Madagasenr, kc, and through the kindness 

 of Mr. McLachlan, I am now able to add one from New Zealand. 

 The descriptions of the American species are good and intelligible, 

 but those of the Oriental and Australian regions are mostly quite 

 inadequate. Although so characteristic in appearance and structure, 

 the genus has been re-inti'oduced six times since its first description, 

 under the names Sysfelloderes, Blanchard, 1852; Oncylocofis, Stal, 

 1855 ; Henscliielln, Horvath, 1888 ; DicepJiahis, Kirby, 1891 ; Hymeno- 

 dectes and Hymejiocoris, Uhler, 1892 ! 



Some nine years ago Ur. Bergroth announced his intention of 

 monographing the genus, but up to the present his work has not 

 appeared. In the meantime, figures may be seen in Westwood's paper 

 cited above ; in the " Biologia Centrali-Americana, Rhyncliota^'''' ii, 

 plate 10 ; Journal Linn. Soc. London, Zool., xxiv, plate iv, &c. 



Our knowledge of the biology of the genus is limited. In 1852 

 Blanchard named //. moscliatus from its musky smell J, and noted that 

 it appeared in little swarms like mosquitos. In 1879 Berg mentioned§ 

 that H. spiircidus, Stal, was commonly observed in Buenos Ayres, 

 especially about evening, in fairly large swarms in the air. The same 

 species was recorded by Berg in 1893 1| as having been observed in the 

 garden of the Art Gallery shortly before sunset in large swarms, two 

 metres above the ground. He was of opinion that the apparently 

 harmless swarms resulted in selection of the sexes, as most of the 

 individuals which he captured on their fall to earth were in copula. A 

 musky smell was also observed in this species. Mr. E. E. Orceu^ 



* Trans. Ent. Soc. London, ii, pp. 2.3-24 ; type fiavicollis from St. Vincent. 

 t Not "copal" as Karsch say.s (1892, Berlin. Ent. Zeit., p. 485). 



I In Gay's " Historia de Chile," vii, p)>. 2'24— 5. § Anal. Soc. Oient. Argent., viii, p. 21. 



II Berlin. Ent. Zeit., x.\xviii, p. a(i2. *[I In Kirby, Jouru. Linn. Soc. London, Zool., xxiv, p. 117 



/ 



