The earliest grouping of helosciomyzid genera was as a subfamily ofSciomyzidae, Helosciomyzinae, proposed byGeorge C. Steyskal in 1965 and which initially consisted of the generaHelosciomyza,Xenosciomyza, andPolytocus,[2] with the monotypic genusEurotocus added to this grouping by Steyskal in 1978.[3] Helosciomyzinae was elevated to family rank by G. C. D. Griffiths in 1972, including the generaHuttonina andProsochaeta, which Steyskal had previously classified as belonging to the sciomyzid subfamily Huttoninidae and which were later excluded from Helosciomyzidae in a 1981 revision of the family by Jeffrey K. Barnes. In this same 1981 revision Barnes added five new genera to Helosciomyzidae, with four of these new genera (Cobergius,Dasysciomyza,Napaeosciomyza, andNeosciomyza) including species previously placed in the genusHelosciomyza. The morphological differences between these genera are often minor.[4][5] A 2012 paper by Australian entomologist David K. McAlpine theorised that Helosciomyzidae is likely most closely related to the sciomyzoid familiesDryomyzidae orHelcomyzidae.[6]
The earliest described species now placed in Helosciomyzidae areHelosciomyza fuscinevris andCobergius vittatus, described by French entomologistPierre-Justin-Marie Macquart in 1851 under the namesSciomyza fuscinevris andHelomyza vittata respectively, though these were not recognised as belonging to Helosciomyzidae and combined under their current names until 1992.[4]
^abMalloch, John Russell (1922). "A revision of the generic status of some New Zealand Diptera".N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology.5:227–228.
^abcdefTonnoir, A. L.; Malloch, J. R. (1928). "New Zealand Muscidae Acalyptratae. Part IV. Sciomyzidae".Records of the Canterbury Museum.3 (3):151–179.
