Cydistomyia avida (Bigot)

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 : 40-41

Cydistomyia avida (Bigot)

( Fig. 29 )

* Atylotus avidus Bigot, 1892: 673 . Froggatt 1911: 13, 1915: 14; Ricardo 1915 a: 286 (?syn. of posticus Wied. ); Ferguson 1921 a: 373; Surcouf 1921: 61 (?syn. of posticus Wied. ); Hardy 1939: 42, 1944: 84, (syn. of posticus Wied. ); Chainey 1990: 248. 2 female syntypes, Australia, in BMNH.

Cydistomyia avida ; Mackerras 1959: 166; Daniels 1989: 286; Bickel & Elliot, 1998 -2005: 3.

* Tabanus fuscipes Taylor, 1913: 62 [Preoccupied by Ricardo, 1908: 332], Ethiopian; Ricardo 1915 a: 286 (syn. of avidus Bigot ); Froggatt 1915: 17; Surcouf, 1921: 61 (syn. of avidus Bigot ) (misspelt fucipes)Taylor nec Ricardo); Ricardo 1915 a: 286 (syn. of avidus Bigot ); Ferguson 1916a: 206; Surcouf, 1921; 61 (syn. of avidus Bigot ). Type female and paratype male, from Magnetic Island, north Qld. (ANIC).

Tabanus taylori Austen, 1914: 265 (replacement name for fuscipes ).

Tabanus posticus Hardy, 1944: 84 , nec Wiedemann, 1828: 152 (= Dasybasis ); Surcouf 1921: 61 (? syn. of avidus Bigot ); Hardy 1948: 177 (as subgen. Cydistomyia ); Mackerras 1959: 166 (corrected misidentification, confirmed synonymy).

Other material examined. 301 ♀, 7 ♂.

Diagnosis. A medium-sized, yellow and brown species, with greyish fawn scutum, yellowish brown adbomen, generally yellowish basally and darkening to brown apically but occasionally predominantly yellowish, yellowish to light brown antennae, yellowish palpi, light brown legs, and with the wings more or less extensively suffused with yellowish brown along all veins giving them a characteristic appearance. To be distinguished from C. nigropicta as stated under that species and from C. hyperythrea by its conspicuous shiny black callus on narrower frons, less dense hairs on palpi, sharp right-angled dorsal angle (sometimes bearing short forwardly directed tooth) and smoothly rounded ventral surface on basal plate. Length 13–16 mm.

Female. Head. Eyes (relaxed) reddish brown or green, bare. Frons parallel or slightly divergent, index 4.8–5.5, with brown to fawn tomentum and brown hairs; ocellar tubercle indicated, ocelli not observed; callus dark brown, somewhat narrower than frons at base, pyriform, with tapering extension to a little above middle of frons. Subcallus yellowish fawn, without hairs; parafacials and face pale creamy fawn, with yellowish cream hairs and a few brown ones; beard cream to yellowish cream. Antennal scape and pedicel light brownish yellow, with black hairs, a few cream ones on scape; flagellum light yellowish to bright brown, sometimes darkening a little on style; basal plate with conspicuous right-angled dorsal angle, sometimes bearing short forwardly directed tooth and smoothly rounded ventral surface. Palpi light to dull yellow, with creamy yellow hairs and some darker brown ones more apically.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum almost uniformly greyish fawn, with inconspicuous black hairs and more evident dull yellowish cream appressed ones. Pleura light greyish fawn, with creamy hairs.

Legs. Bright brown, anterior surface of fore femora, tibiae and all tarsi darker.

Wings. Greyish, costal cell yellowish brown; yellowish brown to brown suffusion along all veins.

Abdomen. More or less uniformly yellowish brown, often darkening apically, with only slight indications of paler apical edges to tergites, hairs black, insignificant median apical yellowish patches and creamy yellow hairs at lateral margins. Venter brown, with creamy apical edges to sternites, predominantly cream hairs on discs as well as apical edges.

Male. Similar to female, one specimen darker, others lighter in colour. Eyes bare, (few short hairs just visible at 35X magnification), blackish, upper facets enlarged, not contrasting in colour with small lower and posterior ones. Ocellar tubercle present, not sunken, ocelli not observed. Palpi subcylindrical, tapering, bluntly rounded distally, greyish fawn, with sparse fine hairs mixed black and creamy white.

Distribution. Coastal NE to SE QLD. QLD: Cape York; Cape Tribulation, Dec., Jan., G.B. Monteith; Crystal Cascades via Cairns, Nov., G.B. Monteith; Tully, Oct; Mission Beach, Sept., G. Ettershank; Meunga Ck, Cardwell, Oct.; Hinchinbrook Is., Dec.-Jan., D.M. Spratt; Palm Is., G.F. Hill, Bancroft, Nov., A. Breinl, Dec.-Jan., I.M. and M.J. Mackerras; Little Crystal Ck, Mt Spec, Nov., E.N. Marks, Dec., M.J. Mackerras; Magnetic Is., J.W. Fielding, F.H. Taylor, Nov-Dec., G.F. Hill; West Point, Magnetic Is., Feb., P. Ferrar; Horseshoe Bay, biting, Dec., Townsville, A. Breinl, G.F. Hill, F.H. Taylor, Hervey's Ra., J.W. Fielding; Ching Do, F.H. Taylor; Townsville, F.H. Taylor; Mt Cleveland Summit 25 km E of Townsville, Jan., A. Graham; Hayman Is., Oct. Dobson; Whitsunday Is., Jan., N. Geary; Scawfell Is., Nov., G.N. Batianoff; Mackay, Feb.; Marwood, nr Mackay, Jan., W.G. Harvey; Sarina, Jan.–Feb.; 37 km S of Sarina, biting, Dec.; Clairview Beach 22 02, Nov., D.S. Kettle, biting; Byfield, Nov., Wilkinson, Dec., I.F.B. Common; Yeppoon, Nov., G.M. Goldfinch, Dec., I.F.B. Common, H.E. Evans, Jan., I.F.B. Common; Rockhampton; Rosslyn Head Section Coast Nat. Pk., Nov., G.M. Goldfinch, Dec., C.L. Lambkin; Westwood,; Happy Valley, Fraser Is., May., E.N. Marks; Lake McKenzie Fraser Is., E.N. Marks; Cooloola, W.B. Wilson; Nambour, Sept., Kirkpatrick; Montville, C. Deane; Point Lookout Stradbroke Is., Mar., G. Daniels and C.J. Burwell; 3.5 km WSW of Point Lookout Stadbroke Is., Mar., G. Daniels and C.J. Burwell; Dunwich, Mar., F.A. Perkins; 7 and 6 km E of Dunwich, North Stradbroke Is., Mar., Apr., G. Daniels and C.J. Burwell; 13 km NE of Dunich, Feb., G. Daniels and C.J Bur- well; Brown Lake, Stradbroke Is., Feb., Apr., G. Daniels, Mar., D.K. Yeates, M.A. Schneider; 18 Mile Swamp, Stradbroke Is., Mar.; 18 Mile Beach, North Stradbroke Is., Apr., D.K. Yeates; Broke Is., North Stradbroke Is., Mar., H.E. and M.A. Evans and A. Hook; Brisbane, Feb., H. Hacker, May, Muir; Springbrook, Nov., D.S. Kettle.

Figures

FIGURES 28–30. 28. Cydistomyia hyperythrea (Bigot) frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb. 29. Cydistomyia avida (Bigot) frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb. 30. Cydistomyia curvabilis Mackerras & Spratt, sp. nov. frons, palp, antenna.