Cydistomyia sabulosus Mackerras & Spratt, 2008

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 : 35-36

Cydistomyia sabulosus Mackerras & Spratt , sp. nov.

( Fig. 25 )

Type material. Holotype female, Qld, Great Sandy Nat. Pk., Fraser Is., Oct. 1996, D.K. Yeates, C.L. Lambkin & S. Winterton ( QM T#144399 ) . Paratype male, same data as holotype ( QM)

Diagnosis. A small plain brown species to be distinguished from C. exemplum by clear rather than pale brown wings except for brown suffusion in costal and subcostal cells, absence of herringbone appearance of scutum at 15–20X magnification and narrow tear-drop shaped callus with anterior extension reaching to three quarters length of frons. Distinguished from C. obscurus by latter feature noted above, narrower frons, less elongate antennal flagellum and absence of anterior prolongation on pedicel. Length 12–13 mm.

Female. Head. Eyes (relaxed) green, bare. Frons parallel, index 4.5, tomentum dark brown, no hairs; vertex flat, vertical triangle and ocellar tubercle not observed; callus dark brown, shiny raised slightly, about one half width of frons at base, with tapering extension reaching to three-quarters length of frons. Subcallus greyish brown, no hairs; parafacials and face greyish brown, with short black hairs; beard predominantly black with some white hairs. Antennal scape and pedicel pale brown, with black hairs; scape as wide as long; flagellum pale orange brown, basal plate narrow, flat ventrally with minute gently rounded dorsal angle. Palpi grey with black hairs.

Thorax. Scutum brown with faint broad median and narrower lateral dark brown vittae without darker herring bone pattern, with fine mixed black and white hairs. Scutellum brown; posterior margin of scutum and particularly scutellum with long greyish white hairs.

Legs. Uniformly brown with black hairs.

Wings. Clear except brown suffusion in costal and subcostal cells and stigma pale brown.

Abdomen. Brown with narrow pale apical bands bearing some fine white hairs on tergites, otherwise hairs short, black; with patches of white hairs laterally on tergites. Venter similar, with more mixed white and black hairs.

Male. Similar to female but with very long white hairs on scutum and scutellum, most pronounced on posterior margins and much longer black hairs on femora. Eyes bare, upper facets enlarged; ocellar tubercle not visible. Palpi cream, plump, tapering to rounded tip, with long mixed white and black hairs.

Distribution. Known only from type locality on Fraser Is., off the coast from Maryborough, QLD.

Etymology. The specific epithet derives from the Latin for sandy referring to the locale of the species.

Figures

FIGURES 25–27. 25. Cydistomyia sabulosus Mackerras & Spratt, sp. nov. frons, palp, antenna. 26. Cydistomyia monteithi Mackerras & Spratt, sp. nov. frons, palp, antenna. 27. Cydistomyia nigropicta (Macquart) frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb.