The Crane-Flies of New York — Part II 929 



Larva. — Form moderately elongated, body terete. Spiracular disk surrounded by five 

 subequal lobes which are marked with V-shaped brown lines, in some specimens the inner 

 faces of the three most dorsal lobes being entirely brownish black. Anal gills moderately 

 elongate. Head capsule as in the Eriopterini. Antenna with the apical papilla very short, 

 subpyriform. 



Pupa.— Cephalic crest setiferous. Pronotal breathing horns elongate-cylindrical, directed 

 ventrad and cephalad, with rows of breathing pores along dorsal face. Rlesonotum 

 declivitous, at broad crest armed with numerous chitinized spines; an arcuated longitudinal 

 row of six small pits extending from wing axil toward crest of thorax. Wing sheaths ending 

 before tip of second abdominal segment. Leg sheaths ending about opposite tip of third 

 abdominal segment; tarsi of hind legs the longest, those of middle legs the shortest, fore 

 legs intermediate in length. Abdominal segments with a strong subterminal armature on 

 ventral segments, much weaker to lacking on dorsal segments; lateral spiracles distinct on 

 segments 2 to 7; dorsum of segment S with five blunt lobes. 



Helobia is a small genus (five species) of common and sometimes very 

 widely distributed crane-flies. The only Noith American species, Helobia 

 hyhridn, is apparently the most widespread tipulid known, ranging over 

 practically the entire Holarctic region, southward in the mountains to 

 India, and, in the New World, to Central America. The immature 

 stages of the known species are spent in moist earth near water. Bruch 

 {in litt.) mentions the rearing of H. macroptera (Phil.) in Argentina. 



Helobia hybrida (Meig.) 



1804 Limonia hybrida Meig. Klass., vol. 1, p. 57. 



1818 Limnobia punctipennis Meig. Syst. Beschr. Zweifl. Ins., vol. 1, p. 147. 



1830 Si/mplecla punctipennis Meig. Syst. Beschr. Zweifl. Ins., vol. 6, p. 283. 



1848 Limnobia cana Walk. List Dipt. Brit. Mus., vol. 1, p. 48. 



Helobia hybrida is undoubtedly the most widely distributed North 

 American crane-fly. Beling (1879:50-51) found larvae and pupae at 

 the end of July, 1876, in wet, sandy earth along the margins of small 

 brooks in deciduous woods. Adults emerged in his breeding cages on 

 July 27 and August 6. Hart (1898 [1895]: 199-200) found the larvae in 

 similar sandy situations along the Illinois River, associated with the 

 larvae of Tabanus atratus Fabr. He suggests that it may serve as food 

 for this horse-fly larva. Larvae of Helobia were especially abundant on 

 May 17, and these transformed to adults within a month. Females 

 were observed ovipositing along the shore, patting the valves of the 

 ovipositor against the moist sand. Malloch ( 1915-17 b: 229-230) has 

 given additional notes on the structural details of Hart's material. 



