The Helosciomyzidae are comprised of 9 genera and 22 species. Except
for one South American genus (Sciogriphoneura Malloch) with 2 species,
the family occurs only in Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, the Snares,
and the Auckland Islands. The highly restricted species distributions and
morphological diversity of the family suggest a relatively ancient origin.
Little information is available on the biology and immature stages of helosciomyzids.
Knutson described the puparia and associated larval structures of Eurotocus
australis and Helosciomyza australica, and Steyskal described
the egg of H. ferruginea (Steyskal & Knutson 1979). Puparia of
E. australis have been reared from larvae obtained from agaric fungi. Barnes
(1980b) reported rearing H. subalpina on various dead insects and
live ant larvae and described the immature stages. Barnes (1980c) reported Polytocus costatus larvae from the carcass of a seabird and described
the larvae and puparia.
Ref.: Barnes (1981, rev., key), McAlpine (1992, oldest described
spp.; 2012, rev., key).
COBERGIUS Barnes, 1981: 49. Type species: Cobergius canus Barnes, 1981 [= Helomyza vittata Macquart, 1851], orig. des.
vittata Macquart, 1851: 279 (Helomyza). Australia (Tas); Australia
(SA, Vic).
canus Barnes, 1981: 50. Australia (SA).
hirsutus Barnes, 1981: 52. Australia (Tas).
DASYSCIOMYZA Barnes, 1981: 52. Type species: Helosciomyza setuligera Malloch, 1922, orig. des.
setuligera Malloch, 1922c: 228 (Helosciomyza). NZ (NZ).
pseudosetuligera Tonnoir & Malloch, 1928: 160 (Helosciomyza).
NZ (NZ).
EUROTOCUS Steyskal in Steyskal & Knutson, 1979: 728. Type
species: Eurotocus australis Steyskal, 1979, orig. des.
australis Steyskal in Steyskal & Knutson, 1979: 728. Australia
(Vic); Australia (NSW, SA).
HELOSCIOMYZA Hendel, 1917: 33. Type species: Helosciomyza ferruginea Hendel, 1917 [= Sciomyza fuscinevris Macquart, 1851], mon.
anaxantha Steyskal in Steyskal & Knutson, 1979: 731. Australia
(Tas).
australica Steyskal in Steyskal & Knutson, 1979: 735.
Australia (NSW); Australia (Tas, Vic).
bickeli McAlpine, 2012: 60. Australia (Tas); Australia (Qld, Tas).
driesseni McAlpine, 2012: 67. Australia (NSW).
fuscinevris Macquart, 1851: 276 (Sciomyza). "Nouvelle-Holland";
Australia (NSW, WA).
ferruginea Hendel, 1917: 33. Australia (Vic).
aliena Malloch, 1928f: 324. Australia (NSW).
macalpinei Steyskal in Steyskal & Knutson, 1979: 737.
Australia (NSW).
neboissi McAlpine, 2012: 63. Australia (Tas).
obliqua McAlpine, 2012: 66. Australia (NSW); Australia (Vic).
steyskali McAlpine, 2012: 64. Australia (NSW); Australia (ACT, Tas, Vis).
subacuta McAlpine, 2012: 63. Australia (Vic); Australia (NSW).
subalpina Tonnoir & Malloch, 1928: 158. NZ (NZ); NZ (Chatham
Is).
Luta McAlpine, 2012: 57. Type species: Helosciomyza luteipennis Steyskal, 1979, orig. des.
luteipennis Steyskal in Steyskal & Knutson, 1979: 736
(Helosciomyza). Australia (NSW).
NAPAEOSCIOMYZA Barnes, 1981: 58. Type species: Tetanocera rara Hutton, 1901, orig. des.
rara Hutton, 1901: 84 (Tetanocera). NZ (NZ).
simillima Harrison, 1959: 45 (Helosciomyza). NZ (NZ).
spinicosta Malloch, 1922c: 228 (Helosciomyza). NZ (NZ).
subspinicosta Tonnoir & Malloch, 1928: 161 (Helosciomyza).
NZ (NZ).
NEOSCIOMYZA Barnes, 1981: 61. Type species: Helosciomyza anhecta Steyskal, 1979, orig. des.
anhecta Steyskal in Steyskal & Knutson, 1979: 733 (Helosciomyza).
Australia (Tas).
peckorum McAlpine, 2012: 68. Australia (ACT); Australia (NSW, Vic).
POLYTOCUS Lamb, 1909: 144. Type species: Polytocus spinicosta Lamb, 1909, mon.
costatus Harrison, 1976: 132. NZ (NZ).
spinicosta Lamb, 1909: 145. NZ (Auckland Is).
SCORDALUS Barnes, 1981: 66. Type species: Helosciomyza femorata Tonnoir & Malloch, 1928, orig. des.
femoratus Tonnoir & Malloch, 1928: 161 (Helosciomyza).
NZ (NZ).
XENOSCIOMYZA Tonnoir & Malloch, 1928: 162. Type species: Xenosciomyza
prima Tonnoir & Malloch, 1928, orig. des.
prima Tonnoir & Malloch, 1928: 162. NZ (NZ).
turbotti Harrison, 1955: 219. NZ (Auckland Is).