Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus)

Couri, Marcia S., Pont, Adrian C. & Daugeron, Christophe, 2010, The Muscidae (Diptera) of New Caledonia 2503, Zootaxa 2503 (1), pp. 1-61 : 23

12. Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus)

Conops calcitrans Linnaeus, 1758: 604 . Lectotype female, locality not stated, presumably Sweden, LSL, des. Pont (1981: 168).

Stomoxys calcitrans ; Mégnin, 1878: cxliv, and 1879: cxlv; Curran, 1929: 6; Williams, 1943: 220; Pont, 1989: 680.

Stomoxys sp. ; Macleay, 1882: 202.

Diagnosis. Frons broad in both sexes, about 1/4 of head-width in male and 1/ 2 in female; legs dark brown, tibiae narrowly yellow at base; vein R 4+5 setulose at base; tergites 3–5 with a median brown stripe not reaching margins and a pair of lateral oval black spots. Male hypopygium as in Figs 145–147; male aedeagus with the praegonite without setae and distiphallus bifurcate at apex (Fig. 149); female ovipositor as in Figs 155 and 156 (all Figs in Pont, 1973a).

Material examined: MNHN. New Caledonia. Nouméa : Anse Vata, vii.1958, 4 ♂, 1 ♀, J. Rageau, Shinonaga det. ; v.1955, 1 ♀, J. Rageau. [mistakenly labeled as Musca domestica by S. Shinonaga], M. Couri det., 2009.

BMNH: New Caledonia: No data, from Bigot Collection, 1 ♂, 1 ♀. Nouméa: 2.viii.1949, 1 ♀, L.E. Cheesman. Tinchialit: 2020 ft, 22.viii–10.ix.1949, 9 ♂, 9 ♀, L.E. Cheesman .

BPBM: New Caledonia: Nouméa : vii.1940, 1 ♀, F.X.Williams. Tipinje: 26.xi.1958, 1 ♀, on horse, C.R. Joyce. Yiambi: NE, 1–50 m, 8.x.1967, 1 ♀; 15.x.1967, J. & M. Sedlacek.

Comments. The species was mentioned by Macleay (1882) as a suspected vector of anthrax. Recorded by Mégnin (1878 – 1879) from the Isle of Pines, and from Nouméa by Curran (1929) and Williams (1943). S. Shinonaga identified material of this species in 1991 at MNHN but did not list it in his paper ( Shinonaga et al., 1991). See Pont (1973a) for a complete redescription with illustrations, details on geographic records and biology.

Distribution. Widespread in Australasia and Oceania, New Zealand, New Caledonia ( New Caledonia, Isle of Pines); cosmopolitan.