Cydistomyia danielsorum 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 : 20-21

Cydistomyia danielsorum Mackerras & Spratt , sp. nov.

( Fig. 16 )

Type material. Holotype female, N Qld, Archer River crossing, “Wolverton”, Apr., 1989, G. & A. Daniels ( AM) . Paratype females (2), same data as for holotype; female, 3 km NW Archer River crossing, “Wolverton”, Apr., 1989, G. & A. Daniels ; 2 females, 3 km SW Fox Creek crossing, “Wolverton”, Apr., 1989, G. and A. Daniels ; 2 females, 26 km W Fairview, Apr. , 1989, G. & A. Daniels ( GDCB) .

Non-type material examined. QLD 1♀ Jardine R, Cape York, 11.x.1979 M.S. and B.J. Moulds ( GDCB);? NT 2♀ Tenant’s Ck, J.F. Field ( ANIC) (see Remarks) .

Diagnosis. A small pale brown species with fine apical bands and a pale grey vitta with white hairs forming median triangles on abdominal tergites, bulging shiny brown almost quadrate callus with fine anterior extension not reaching middle of frons, and brown antennae. Distinguished from C. torresi by much shorter extension of callus not reaching upper and middle third of frons, fawn grey rather than black palps and grey vitta with white triangles on abdominal tergites. Resembling a small C. fergusoni but with frons wider; callus bulging, shiny, almost quadrate with a very short extension;, palps pale with scattered black hairs; and stigma conspicuous on clear wing. Length 10–12 mm.

Female. Head. Eyes (relaxed) green, bare. Frons parallel, wide, index 3.2–3.3, with fawn grey tomentum, fine black hairs; vertical triangle grey with short black hairs; ocellar tubercle ill-defined, raised, brown, anterior ocellus sometimes present; callus bulging shiny brown, nearly quadrate, almost full width of frons at base, with fine short extension not reaching middle half of frons. Subcallus with fawn-grey tomentum, no hairs. Parafacials and face with white tomentum, with fine white hairs; beard white. Antennal scape and pedicel grey, with black hairs; scape twice as long as wide, pedicel narrow with slight anterior extension; antennae orange brown, style slightly darker; basal plate stubby, with gently rounded dorsal angle. Palpi fawn grey, with scattered short black hairs.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum uniformly grey, covered in short white hairs; mesonotum with long black hairs; pleura grey, with white hairs.

Legs. Femora pale greyish brown, with fine white hairs; tibiae similar but with black hairs; tarsi dark brown with black hairs.

Wings. Clear, with conspicuous brown stigma.

Abdomen. Brown with median pale grey vitta with white hairs forming median triangles on tergites 1–5, with fine pale bands with white hairs on apical margins of all tergites; other abdominal hairs black; venter uniformly pale grey with fine white hairs except sternite 7 darker, with long black hairs.

Distribution. From Cape York N QLD to S of Cooktown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is in honour of Greg and Alice Daniels and their enthusiastic collecting efforts in support of entomology in Australia.

Remarks. Two females from Tenant’s Ck. NT (ANIC) are tentatively placed in this species in the absence of accurate knowledge of the locality (? Tennant Ck NT) and their occurrence in NT rather than Cape York QLD.

Figures

FIGURES 16–18. 16. Cydistomyia danielsorum Mackerras & Spratt, sp. nov. frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb. 17. Cydistomyia palmensis (Ferguson & Hill) frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb. 18. Cydistomyia pseudoardens (Taylor) frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb.