Gynoplistia speciosa n. sp. (Fig. 79.)

♀. Head shining dark brown, almost black between eyes; proboscis lighter; palpi dark brown. Front about one-third as broad as head. Scape and first few flagellar joints of antennae reddish-brown, remainder blackish. Flagellum eighteen-jointed, the first nine joints each with an appendage which is nearly four times as long as joint; most of these are dorsal in position, owing to twisting of antenna (as is usual in males of this genus, but not in females). Tenth flagellar joint with a rather shorter appendage, eleventh with a very short one. Thorax dark reddish-brown, mesonotum rather brightly shining, without markings, pleurae with grey dusting which appears almost silvery when seen from above. Abdomen shining dark brown, with faint coppery tint. Anal valves of ovipositor moderately slender. Legs dark brown, femora moderately stout (especially hind pair), ochreous on basal third or half; hind tibiae with conspicuous but ill-defined whitish ring beyond middle. Wings with faintly brownishtinged ground-colour; venation and dark-brown markings as in figure. Sc₂ oblique, equal in length to Sc₁. Halteres ochreous, knob not darkened. Length of body, 18 mm.; wing, 15 mm.

North Island: Wellington (G. V. Hudson, No. 16d); type female in British Museum.

This is possibly only a variety of G. tridactyla; it is also just possible that it may be the female of G. formosa.

Gynoplistia formosa Hutton.

Gynoplistia formosa Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 32, p. 46, 1900.

“Abdomen metallic steel-blue, with purple reflections. Head and antennae dark brown. Thorax dark bronze. Legs dark brown, the femora (except the tips) and a distal ring on the hind tibiae yellow. Halteres yellow. Wings faintly tinged with yellow; a large dark spot at the origin of the second longitudinal vein, and a still larger one from the costa through the bases of the second submarginal and first posterior cells to the discal, which is clear, except the inner and outer margins. A lighter spot in the upper margin of the auxiliary cell, about two-thirds from the base, and touching the sixth longitudinal vein. The antennae in the male are 22-jointed, of which 3 to 17 are branched; the last joint is small. Length, ♂ 12 mm.; wing, ♀ 11 mm. The female is unknown.”—(Hutton.)North Island: Kaitoke (Hudson).

Gynoplistia cuprea Hutton. (Figs. 84, 85.)

Gynoplistia cuprea Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 32, p. 46, 1900.

Antennal flagellum eighteen-jointed in male; sixteen-jointed in the only complete female I have seen, though in this specimen the terminal joint is nearly as long as the three preceding, and is probably compounded of three fused joints. The first fourteen flagellar joints in male, the first twelve in female, bear branches. In male the longest branches are about eight times, in female about three times, as long as joints. The hypopygium has outer claspers simple, nearly cylindrical, with slender, blackened, hooked tip; side-pieces with basal tubercle on ventral side; parameres simple, pointed, black. Colour of thorax, abdomen, and legs normally shining coppery-brown, with metallic reflections on abdomen, but some specimens are much darker, abdomen metallic violet, femora and tibiae with blackened tips. A male of this form is normal in structure. Wings

have a more or less pronounced yellow tint; the dark markings vary in intensity. The insect is of a stouter build than most other New Zealand species.

North Island: Wellington (G. V. Hudson, No. 29); in forest, Porirua, 9th December, 1920 (G. V. Hudson). South Island: Canterbury (Hutton).

Gynoplistia tuberculata n. sp.

♂. Head shining brownish - orange. Palpi dark brown. Antennae brownish-ochreous, the pectinations black. First and ninth flagellar joints with very small conical projections beneath, second to eighth each with a cylindrical process, the longest being little more than twice as long as joint bearing it; remaining antennal joints simple. Thorax brownish-orange, mesonotum shining, upper part of pleurae with a patch of golden pollen; a blackish line between mesonotum and pleurae. Lateral sclerite of post-notum produced into a conspicuous tubercle, the tip of which is rounded and curved backwards. Abdomen shorter than wing, brownish-orange with slight coppery reflection, darker at extreme base; segments 3–6 very broad, quite twice as broad as basal segment. Legs missing (coxae and trochanters concolorous with thorax). Wings with a strongly marked yellow ground-colour, tip scarcely perceptibly darkened, but the darkening, such as it is, reaching almost to cord; an ill-defined dark cloud over cord, extending right across wing, but leaving centre of discal cell yellow; the dark colour spreading out for some distance along hind-margin towards base, and for a much greater distance up cell Cu; a dark cloud over base of Rs, reaching across cell R. Sc₁ bent sharply up to costa at tip; Sc₂ twice as long as Sc₁, but only slightly oblique. Rs square and slightly spurred at base; R₂ straight, not quite three times as long as R₂₊₃, and in a straight line with it; R₃ and R₄₊₅ also straight. Ax with a strong double curve. Halteres yellowish. Length of body, 11 mm.; wing, 10·5 mm.

A single female in H. Loew's collection in Berlin Zoological Museum, without definite data.

Though superficially very much like G. cuprea, this species is really very distinct on account of the remarkable postnotal tubercles, also by the rudimentary appendages of the first and ninth antennal joints, and the straight branches of the radius.

Gynoplistia violacea n. sp. (Figs. 86, 168.)

♀. Head shining purplish-black, with some pale pubescence. Palpi and antennae black. Flagellum sixteen-jointed, joints for the most part less than twice as long as broad, the last few rather longer; all but the last three joints bear branches, the longest of which are quite ten times as long as joints; branch of thirteenth joint not much longer than joint. Thorax shining greenish-black; sides of pronotum and the greater part of the pleurae heavily dusted with dull grey. Abdomen shining dark violet-blue. Hypopygium tinged with ochreous, its structure as in figure; outer clasper not at all blackened, with cylindrical stem and flat tip; parameres deeply bifid, with two sharp divergent points. Legs: Coxae violet-black, the front and middle pair grey-dusted; trochanters dark brown; femora moderately stout, ochreous on basal two-thirds, apical third black; tibiae and tarsi black, hind tarsi brownish-ochreous except at base and tip. Wings slightly brownish-tinged, with ill-defined markings

as in figure. R₂ shorter and straighter than usual. Accessory cross-veins are present in both wings in cells R₁ and R₃, in different positions in the two wings. Halteres pale ochreous, the base of stem dark. Length of body, 9 mm.; wing, 9 mm.

South Island: Otira Gorge, December, 1908 (G. V. Hudson, No. 234a); type male in British Museum.

Gynoplistia nigronitida n. sp. (Fig. 87.)

♂. Head black, somewhat shining, but conspicuously dusted with grey. Antennae and palpi black. Flagellum with fourteen joints, for the most part about three times as long as broad, the last four shorter, terminal joint very small, globular; first nine joints bearing branches, of which the longest are about six times as long as joints; branch of ninth scarcely three times as long as joint. Thorax shining black; pleurae with slight grey dusting. Abdomen missing. Legs rather short and stout, femora swollen apically. Front and middle coxae dark brown; hind coxae black. Femora, tibiae, and first three tarsal joints dark reddish-brown with black tips; terminal tarsal joints black. (Hind legs missing.) Wings somewhat unusually broad, with well-defined blackish markings as in figure. Halteres entirely blackish. Length of wing, 7 mm.

South Island: Otira Gorge, December, 1908 (G. V. Hudson, No. 237a); type male (damaged) in British Museum.

Gynoplistia speighti n. sp.

♂. Head shining black, with some black hair. Palpi black. Scape of antennae brown; flagellum black, the first seven joints with basal projections, the longest of which are scarcely as long as joints bearing them; all joints scarcely twice as long as broad; joints 8 and 9 simple; terminal joints missing. Thorax shining blackish-brown, ochreous-tinged on shoulders, above roots of wings, and on margin of scutellum. Pleurae with a moderately large patch of fine, dense whitish pubescence. Abdomen shining blue-black; ovipositor yellowish; anal valves slender, nearly straight, twice as long as last segment. Legs rather long and slender, femora slightly thickened apically; brownish-ochreous, femora and tibiae gradually darkened towards tips, tarsi blackish. Wings with venation and markings practically as in G. nigronitida, but Cu_1a is a little before middle of discal cell, the dark markings are somewhat smaller, and wings rather longer in proportion. Halteres with ochreous stem and blackish knob. Length of body, 10·5 mm.; wing, 9 mm.

South Island: Mount Grey, Canterbury, 24th December, 1916; type female in Canterbury Museum.

Although it is evidently closely allied to G. nigronitida, I feel sure this cannot be the female of that species, on account of its distinctly longer and more slender legs, shining head, and whitish pleural pubescence. The specimen was among a number lent by Mr. Speight, of the Canterbury Museum, to Dr. C. P. Alexander, and through him to the writer.

Gynoplistia anthracina Alexander.

? Gynoplistia anthracina Alexander, Insecutor Inscitiae, vol. 8, p. 128, 1920.

Head and thorax entirely shining black, except that pleurae have a narrow elongate patch of extremely fine white pubescence. Middle legs slender, but with femora somewhat clubbed; pubescence rather longer

than in most species, that on the tibia nearly twice as long as diameter of joint; first tarsal joint is a little more than half as long as tibia (in G. speighti and G. nigronitida it is almost exactly half as long). The other legs and the wings of the type are now lost; according to Alexander's description, the wing-markings are somewhat similar to those of G. speighti and G. nigronitida, but there is a small spot at the base of cell M₁ and a complete fascia across the wing from base of Rs to hind-margin. Length of body, 5·8 mm.; wing, 6 mm.

South Island: Greymouth (Helms); type female (fragment) in Berlin-Dahlem Museum.

Gynoplistia fulgens Hutton.

Gynoplistia fulgens Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 32, p. 47, 1900.

“Abdomen metallic steel-blue, with purple reflections. Head and antennae dark-brown. Thorax black, shining. Halteres yellow. Legs blackish-brown, proximal portions of the femora yellowish-brown. Wings clear, except at bases, where they are slightly tinged with yellow; a rather pale-brown spot at apex of marginal cell, extending across base of second submarginal. Only a minute spot at origin of second longitudinal vein. Discal cell open. Antennae in the male twenty-jointed, of which 3 to 15 are branched. Length, ♂ 13 mm.; wing, ♂ 12 mm. Female unknown.”—(Hutton).

South Island: Mount Arthur, 3,600 ft., 6th February, 1898 (Hudson).

Gynoplistia polita n. sp. (Figs. 88, 171.)

♂. Head shining black, with some black hair; palpi and antennae black. Flagellum only thirteen-jointed, joints as in G. clavipes. Thorax shining black, with scanty pale hair; pleurae with rather large patch of fine dense greyish pubescence. Abdomen shining, dark steel-blue; pubescence pale; side-pieces of hypopygium ochreous, with dark spot on outer side. Structure of hypopygium somewhat resembling that of G. violacea, but flat apical portion of outer clasper longer and more pointed; apical lobes of side-piece larger; parameres less deeply forked, &c. Legs rather slender; femora thickened apically, but not conspicuously clubbed. Coxae and trochanters shining black; femora ochreous on basal half, gradually shading to black apically; tibiae dark brown; tarsi black. Wings hyaline, tip not at all darkened; a squarish spot over base of Rs and a blackish fascia from stigma to discal cell. Halteres uniformly brownish-ochreous. Length of body, 5·5 mm.; wing, 6·5 mm.

South Island: Mount Aurum, 3,000 ft., 17th January, 1920, (G. V. Hudson, No. 217b); type male in British Museum.

Apparently resembles G. fulgens in coloration, but is much smaller, and has fewer joints in antennae.

Gynoplistia trifasciata n. sp. (Figs. 89, 170.)

♂. Head between the eyes shining dark brown, with violet reflections; back part rather light ochreous. Palpi dark brown. Scape of antennae and rachis of first two flagellar joints ochreous, the rest black. Flagellum with only twelve joints, which are mostly about three times as long as broad, the last three a little shorter; the first eight bear branches, the longest of which are about eight times as long as joint bearing them, that on the eighth about five times as long as joint. Thorax entirely brightly

shining. Mesonotum reddish-ochreous; scutellum and base of postnotum darker. Upper half of pleurae black, the lower half pale ochreous. Abdomen blackish, shining, with strong violet reflections. Hypopygium (see figure) with peculiarly lobed side-pieces; outer clasper slender, cylindrical, without flattened projection at tip; parameres long, simple, tip pointed and bent. Legs slender, femora conspicuously clubbed on apical fourth; coxae and trochanters light ochreous; femora ochreous with black clubs; tibiae ochreous at base, gradually shading to black at tip; tarsi black. Wings hyaline, with small dark spot in base of cell R and three complete dark fasciae, as in figure. Halteres with slender dark stem and large black knob. Length of body, 4·5 mm.; wing, 5·5 mm.

North Island: Wainuiomata, Wellington, 14th December, 1920 (G. V. Hudson, No. 327); type and one other male in British Museum.

This species and G. clavipes are doubtless closely allied in spite of some striking differences. They and G. polita are remarkable for the reduction in the number of antennal joints, but there can be no question of removing them from the genus Gynoplistia.

Gynoplistia clavipes n. sp. (Figs. 90, 169.)

♂. Head shining black, with a little black hair. Palpi blackish. Scape of antennae and rachis of first few flagellar joints light brown, the rest dark brown. Flagellum with only thirteen joints, which are about three times as long as broad, the last three rather shorter; the first eight flagellar joints bear branches, of which the longest are about ten times as long as joint bearing them; that on the eighth is about five times as long as joint. Thorax rather dark brown, brightly shining, mesonotum somewhat darker, with metallic reflections; pleurae with a small patch of fine, dense, silvery-white pubescence. Abdomen dark brown, with strong violet reflections; hypopygium lighter, its structure as in figure: somewhat resembling that of G. violacea, but the dorso-apical lobe of the side-piece is longer, rounded, and bare; paramere long, nearly straight, and not bifid, &c. Legs slender, but the femora conspicuously clubbed on their apical fourth; coxae, trochanters, and bases of femora ochreous, the rest dark brown. Wings almost hyaline, with moderately dark-brown markings as in figure. Ax more sinuous than usual. Halteres ochreous, the knob somewhat darkened. Length of body, 7 mm.; wing, 6·3 mm.

North Island: Wellington, 6th February, 1916 (G. V. Hudson, No. 98a); type male in British Museum.

Gynoplistia albicincta n. sp. (Fig. 91.)

♂. Head shining black, the front broad, about half as broad as head. Palpi with first joint blackish, the rest light brown. Antennae dark brown. Flagellum with only eleven joints (complete, not broken); the first two joints simple, shortly oval; the next five joints somewhat longer, with a pointed ventral projection which has the whole length of joint, not not only its proximal portion, for its base; last four joints simple, the terminal joint longer than any one of the preceding three, which are nearly globular. Thorax shining dark brown, black posteriorly; plurae without grey dusting or dense pubescence. Abdomen shining black; ovipositor brown, anal valves slender almost straight, half as long again as last segment. Legs short and stout, with longer pubescence than in any other species known to me; on the tibiae it is about twice as long as diameter of tibiae. Femora strongly clubbed on outer third. Coxae, trochanters,