Cydistomyia victoriensis (Ricardo)

Mackerras, I. M., Spratt, D. M. & Yeates, D. K., 2008, Revision of the horse fly genera Lissimas and Cydistomyia (Diptera: Tabanidae: Diachlorini) of Australia, Zootaxa 1886 (1), pp. 1-80 : 60-62

Cydistomyia victoriensis (Ricardo)

( Figs. 7 , 12 , 43 )

* Tabanus victoriensis Ricardo, 1915 a: 275 ; Froggatt 1915: 18; Ricardo 1917: 219; Taylor 1918: 64; Ferguson & Henry 1920: 842; Ferguson, 1920: 132, 1921a: 373; Surcouf 1921: 88; Hardy 1939: 42, 1944: 84; Chainey, 1990: 317. Holotype female, from Dandenong Ranges, Victoria (BMNH)

Cydistomyia victoriensis ; Mackerras 1959: 168; Daniels, 1989: 288; Bickel & Elliot, 1998 -2005: 5.

Other material examined. 208 ♀, 29 ♂.

Diagnosis. A large squarely built concolourous dark slate-grey species with costal and subcostal cells wholly or partly suffused with brown, conspicuous brown suffusion along margins of wing veins, and narrow basal plate with acute dorsal angle forming short but sharp upward and often forwardly directed tooth. Distinguished from wentworthi by this feature of antennae, generally larger size, inconspicuous abdominal markings, shape of callus, and generally darker legs. Readily distinguished from pruina by brown suffusion on wings and additional features listed under that species. Length 16–21 mm (usually 18–21).

Female. Head. Eyes (relaxed) blackish, with short fine rather sparse hairs just visible at 15X magnification. Frons medium, parallel or slightly divergent, index 4.0–5.4, with grey to greyish fawn tomentum and short dark hairs; vertex depressed; vertical triangle well defined, lighter grey than general tomentum; ocellar tubercle conspicuous, shiny, dully, irregular, with well defined anterior ocellar pit, ocelli occasionally observed; callus pyriform, raised, elongate, about two-thirds width of frons at base, tapering to narrow grooved extension which usually reaches to ocellar tubercle. Subcallus projecting, covered with grey tomentum at sides, dull yellowish cream in middle, usually with patch of short black hairs on each side above antennae; parafacials and face with rather dirty creamy grey tomentum and short dark hairs; beard dull greyish cream, with few black hairs. Antennal scape and pedicel with blackish brown tomentum, with black hairs, pedicel almost twice as long as wide, with pronounced dorsal prolongation; flagellum black, basal plate narrow, with acute dorsal angle forming short sharp upward and generally anteriorly directed tooth. Palpi greyish fawn, with numerous short black hairs.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum dark grey, with faint indications of narrow median and dorsocentral lines and lighter grey lateral margins; hairs mixed black and inconspicuous greyish white. Pleura grey, with greyish white hairs anteriorly, posteriorly, and on posterior edge of mesopleural convexity, black on most of mesopleura, black tuft among white on posterior edge of convexity.

Legs. Dark grey to black, with black hairs; hind tibial fringe short but fairly dense.

Wings. Greyish brown, costal cell and area behind dark brown, stigma more brownish in hue, sometimes completely brown; veins with conspicuous brown suffusion along margins.

Abdomen. Uniformly dark slate-grey, with narrow inconspicuous paler margins to apices of tergites but without creamy white hairs over these, tergites with predominantly black hairs, with few scattered white ones. Venter with more conspicuous pale apical edges on sternites, with numerous white hairs among black ones, some white hairs on pale apical edges. In some specimens the lateral thirds of the tergites are dark brown, there are small median pale white-haired triangles on tergites 2–5 and the lateral margins of tergites 1–4 are pale and covered with dense greyish white hairs.

Male. Dimorphic. Differs from female in having blackish brown scutum and deep brown abdomen with medium black vitta. Pleura darker, black hairs more conspicuous. Eyes (relaxed) blackish, with short fine hairs visible at 15X magnification, contiguous, upper facets slightly enlarged but not sharply differentiated from lower ones. Ocellar tubercle small, broadly oval, prominent, projecting slightly above level of eyes. Palpi shorter, more acorn-shaped than in wentworthi , from which this species also differs in the entirely black hairs of the darker abdomen.

Distribution. Inland SE QLD, ACT and coastal and inland NSW and VIC. QLD: Montville, Deane; Mt Mistake, nr Laidley, Jan., D.M. Spratt; Lower Beechmont, Jan., G.J. and A. Holloway; Mt Nebo, Dec., E.H. Derrick; Mt Tamborine, Nov., H. Hacker, Dec., May, J.W. Davidson; Palen Ck SF, nr Rathdowney, Jan., A.J. Nicholson; McPherson Ra., 914 m, Dec.; Surprise Rock; Binna Burra, Nov., I.M. and M.J. Mackerras; Springbrook, Nov., D.S. Kettle, Dec., I.M. and M.J. Mackerras, D.B. Jones, Feb., A.C. Arvier; Lamington Nat. Pk., Jan., A.J. Nicholson, Dec.–Jan., H.J. Carter. NSW: Cudgen, Tweed R., Nov.; Byron Bay, Nov., Marr; 8 km W of Rosebank, Nov., M.S. Upton; Eltham, Dec., C.E. Chadwick, Lismore, in cowbails, Wardle; Gibralter Range Nat. Pk., Dec., I.F.B. Common and E.D. Edwards; Dorrigo, Jan., T. Wright; Boambee, Nov., C.R. Wallace; Kendall, Dec.-Jan.; Tuggolo, Feb., G. Edwards; Hampton, Jan., J. Andrews; Leura, Dec., D.H. Colless, Jan., W.W. Froggatt; Jenolan Caves, 609 m, J.C. Wibord; Kanangra Walls, Jan., J. Bishop; Blue Mtns, Jan., C. Deuquet; Robertson, Mar., C. Deuquet; Barren Grounds Nat. Res., Jan., Key, Feb., C.E. Chadwick; Fitzroy Falls, Nov., A.L. Tonnoir; Nowra, Jan., C. Deuquet; Wee Jasper, 914 m, Jan., M.E. Fuller; Blundell's, A.C.T., Dec.- Jan., M.E. Fuller, I.M. Mackerras, G.R.W. de Silva, S.J. Paramonov; Bendora, A.C.T., Jan., Grace, Feb., S.J. Paramonov, Z. Liepa; Uriarra, A.C.T., Jan., D.H. Colless; Mt Franklin, Jan., S.J. Paramonov; Mt Gingera, A.C.T., 176 m, Nov., S.J. Paramonov, Jan.–Feb., K.R. Norris, T.G. Campbell, I.F.B. Common, Key, A.L. Dyce and M.D. Murray; Brindabella Ra., Mar., T.G. Campbell and H. Davies; Tantangara Reservoir, Jan., P. Hay- cock; Yarrangobilly, Jan., M.E. Fuller, T.G. Campbell, G. Wellings; Rules Point, Jan., T.G. Campbell; Alpine Ck, Kiandra, Nov., A.L. Tonnoir, Jan., M.E. Fuller, T.G. Campbell, J. Bancroft and I.M. Mackerras; Snowy Plains, 1219 m, Jan.–Feb., D.M. Spratt; Geehi, 457 m, Jan., M.F. Day; Mt Kosciuszko, 1524 m, Jan., Tillyard, M.E. Fuller, Feb., A.J. Nicholson, F.H. Taylor; Nadgee Nat. Res., Jan., M. Burt. VIC: Harrietville, Jan., K.L. Taylor; Mt Hotham~ Jan., F.E. Wilson; Treasure's, 1402 m, Feb., N. Dobrotworsky; Jamieson, Jan., N. Dobrotworsky; Cann R., Jan., N. Dobrotworsky; Fernshaw, Jan., A.L. Dyce; Mt Donna Buang via Healesville, Jan., T. Weir; Warburton District; Noojee, Jan., F.E. Wilson, N. Dobrotworsky; Cockatoo, Jan., A.L. Dyce; Neerim, Jan., F.E. Wilson; Mulgrave, Feb., F.E. Wilson; Yarram, biting, Feb.–Mar., G.W. Douglas; Wilson's Promontory, Kershaw, Jan., A.J. Nicholson, G. Thomson; Maroona, Feb.–Mar., N. Dobrotworsky.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Habitus images 1. Cydistomyia casuarinae (English, Mackerras & Dyce) wing length 11 mm. 2. Cydistomyia cyanea (Wiedemann) wing 12 mm. 3. Cydistomyia nigropicta (Macquart) wing: 18 mm. 4. Cydistomyia doddi (Taylor) wing 13.5 mm. 5. Cydistomyia magnetica (Ferguson & Hill) wing: 14 mm. 6. Cydistomyia alternata (Ferguson & Hill). 7. Cydistomyia victoriensis (Ricardo) wing: 16mm. 8. Cydistomyia rivularis (Ferguson & Hill) wing: 9mm.

FIGURES 9–12. Antennal flagella: 9. Cydistomyia pseudoardens (Taylor), 10. Cydistomyia bancroftae Mackerras, 11. Cydistomyia improcerus Mackerras & Spratt, sp. nov., 12. Cydistomyia victoriensis (Ricardo).

FIGURES 43–45. 43. Cydistomyia victoriensis (Ricardo) frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb. 44. Cydistomyia musgravii (Taylor) frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb. 45. Cydistomyia rivularis (Ferguson & Hill) frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb.