22 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. IX, January, 1955 
Helle rufescens Brunetti 
1926. Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. IX, 18: 572. 
Brunetti writes: 
Head mainly as in longirostris, but occiput much 
narrower and front ocellus indefinite or absent. 
Thorax bright brownish red, hind corners of pro- 
thoracic plates, which do not quite touch in the median 
line, narrowly pale yellow; dorsum with three con- 
tiguous broad black stripes; the middle one beginning 
on anterior margin of mesothorax, where it broadens 
a little, continuing to hind margin of dorsum, where 
it is considerably narrowed. Outer stripes beginning 
just in front of wing-base and ending, narrowed a 
little, on hind margin. Scutellum very globular, a little 
blackish on underside at base; metanotum more or less 
blackish. 
Abdomen reddish, concolorous with thorax; a black- 
ish, elongate, transverse spot with indefinite outline 
each side of median line on hinder half of each segment, 
more distinct on third, fourth, and fifth segments; base 
of each segment from fourth onwards more or less 
black and a little contracted. A fine microscopic whitish 
pubescence over all dorsum. Venter concolorous red- 
dish with dorsum, a little blackish transversely at base 
of each segment. 
Legs brownish yellow; femora, except tips for a short 
distance, obscurely brown; tips of tarsal joints narrowly 
brown. 
Wings yellowish grey; venation as in longirostris , 
except for an extra cross-vein between third and fourth 
veins above tip of discal cell. All veins distinct. The 
elongate thickening of first vein yellowish brown, much 
less conspicuous than in longirostris. Squamae obscurely 
whitish, the yellow clubs of the halteres visible through 
them, their margins distinctly yellow. 
Length 7 mm. 
Type from Buller River, New Zealand, 29. xii. 1918 
(G. V. Hudson, no. 47h). A second specimen labelled 
?Buller Riv., N. Zeal, (collector’s no. 47g), also col- 
lected bv Hudson. Both in the British Museum. 
The author has seen specimens from the 
following localities: New Zealand: 26 71 cf, 20. 
xii. 1921, Mt. Arthur Tl., 4,500 ft. (A. Ton- 
noir); lcf, 6. xi. 23, Nelson (A. Tonnoir); 
Id 71 , 9. ii. 1921, Dun Mt., 3,000 ft. (R. J. 
Tillyard). 
In one of the specimens from Mt. Arthur 
the additional vein at the apex of the discal 
cell is quite absent in both wings. The spec- 
imen from Nelson has it on both wings, 
situated rather far beyond the apex of the 
discal cell. In the fourth specimen it is present 
only on the right wing in the same position. 
The second specimen from Mt. Arthur has 
the additional vein exactly above the apex of 
the discal cell. 
The occipital part of the head in profile is 
very narrow, about as broad as the anterior 
tibiae. In other species it is broader than the 
femora and much broader when viewed from 
above. 
Helle longirostris Hudson 
1896. Manual of New Zealand Entomology, 
56, tab. vii, fig. 4. (Acrocera). 
Osten-Sacken, 1896. Ent. Monthly Mag. 
(ser. 2, vii), 32: 16. 
Brunetti, 1926. Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 
IX, 18: 571. 
Brunetti writes: 
Redescription. — Head dull blackish; eyes quite bare, 
closely contiguous from just below small vertex to 
frontal triangle; latter bright orange. Ocellar triangle 
flush with eyes; ocelli brown, front ocellus small, dis- 
tinct, the other two larger and less well defined. An- 
tennae dark brown; face blackish; proboscis one and 
a half times as long as height of head, pale yellowish 
above, dark brown below, the basal sheath moderately 
dark brown, shining. Occiput very broad above, nar- 
rowing gradually to lower part, the latter still broad, 
whole margin with microscopic whitish hairs. 
Thorax dull blackish, with a slight aeneous tinge, 
minutely punctate; outer margins of prothoracic plates 
and their hind corners more or less dull reddish yellow, 
sides and hind corners of dorsum, also pleurae and 
hind margin of scutellum similarly coloured, varying 
a little in intensity. 
Abdomen dull blackish with a slight aeneous tinge, 
minutely punctate; hind margins of segments towards 
sides narrowly bright orange; extreme side margins of 
abdomen narrowly orange. Seen from in front, dorsum 
with rather dense, very short, fine, whitish pubescence. 
Venter black, hind margins of segments very narrowly 
orange, more or less interrupted. Genitalia mainly 
concealed. 
Legs. Coxae and femora blackish brown, trochanters 
and tips of femora yellowish; tibiae and tarsi brownish 
yellow, dorsum of each tarsal joint blackish in middle; 
pulvilli yellowish, claws black. 
Wings uniformly yellowish grey, all veins distinct; 
first vein with a spindle-shaped black thickened apical 
part; second and third veins practically parallel for their 
last two-thirds, third vein parallel with fourth vein as 
far as end of discal cell. An adventitious cross-vein 
sometimes occurs between third and fourth veins 
shortly beyond tip of discal cell, sometimes found in 
one wing only. No veins after third reaching wing- 
margin; fifth vein forming hinder side of discal cell 
for some distance, discal cell large; second basal cell 
longer than either first basal or anal. Squamae whitish, 
nearly transparent, margin barely obvious, through 
them can be seen the large yellow clubs of the halteres. 
