There are around 40 described species currrently placed under Helina for Australia. Most species are dark with lighter pruinescence and usually the scutum quadrivittate (formed by lines devoid of pruinescence). However some are green-blue, tawny or even yellowish and the scutum vittae obscure or trivittate. Vein M usually bends down away from the upper vein (R4+5) at the apex, though there are species where this vein bends slightly upwards before the wing margin. The smallest species is 4mm (H. tasmaniensis), while the largest is over 11mm (H. leai). Over 20 species are recorded as present in Tasmania.
The Australian species were last revised by Malloch in 1925 with several poorly described species by overseas workers not considered at the time. Malloch’s keys and descriptions are heavily relied upon for the species assignments below.
Helina nigrescens/nigrohalterata Group
