Cydistomyia cyanea (Wiedemann), 1989

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 : 18-19

Cydistomyia cyanea (Wiedemann)

( Figs. 2 , 14 )

Tabanus cyaneus Wiedemann, 1828: 152 ; Macquart 1850: 30 (recorded erroneously from Tasmania); Froggatt 1911: 14, 1915: 15; Ricardo 1915 a: 284; White 1915: 16; Ferguson & Henry 1920: 844; Ferguson 1920: 132, 1921a: 373; Surcouf 1921: 66 (erroneously attributed to Macquart). Holotype female, stated to be from unknown locality (ZMHB). It was found by Professor F. Peus (in litt.) to agree well with a female from Queensland that was sent to him for comparison, and he also reported that the type bore a label ‘Nov. Holl., Melly.’.

Selasoma cyaneum ; Macquart 1838: 188; Walker 1854: 273; Ricardo 1904: 354.

Chalybosoma cyanea ; English, Mackerras & Dyce 1957: 291; Mackerras 1959: 165 (see note under C. casuarinae ).

* Tabanus cyaneoviridis Macquart, 1850: 31 ; Froggatt 1911: 14, 1915: 15; Ricardo 1915 a: 284 (syn. of cyaneus Wied. ); Mackerras 1959: 165 (confirmed synonymy). Holotype female, ‘Tasmanie’ (erroneous Hardy, 1929: 63, see Remarks) (MNHN).

Cydistomyia cyanea (Wiedemann) Daniels 1989: 286 ; Bickel & Elliot, 1998 -2005: 3.

Other material examined. 61 ♀.

Diagnosis. A medium-sized, plump, metallic dark blue to blue-green species; related to C. casuarinae from which it is distinguished by the orange antennal flagellum and clear wings. Length 10–15 mm.

Female. Head. Eyes in life red, generally green on relaxation, bare. Frons narrow, slightly divergent, index 6–7, with delicate grey tomentum and sparse short black hairs, some on each side of middle of callus and others below vertex; vertex slightly hollow; vertical triangle shiny, black, with numerous short black hairs; ocellar spot brown; callus shiny, black, almost full width of frons at base, oval and raised, with spearshaped extension which is hollow below and forms raised ridge on upper half of frons, almost reaching ocellar spot. Subcallus smooth, with thin grey and brown tomentum, without hairs; parafacials rather narrow, with brownish black tomentum and short black hairs; face shiny, dark brown to black, with thin irregular tomentum on lower part at each side of base of proboscis, and short dark hairs below antennae, tentorial pits large and deep; beard black. Antennal scape and pedicel dark brown to blackish, with black hairs; flagellum bright orange-yellow, more reddish on basal plate and with blunt dorsal angle. Palpi slender, black, slightly shiny, with black hairs. Proboscis slender; labella with narrow, well-defined sclerotised bar laterally.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum metallic dark blue to blue-green, with some greyish dusting anteriorly, hairs black. Pleura deep brown, with entirely black hairs.

Legs. Black, extreme tip of knees brownish yellow, hairs black; fore tibiae slightly swollen.

Wings. Base conspicuously dark brown, remainder pale greyish, almost clear; veins brown, distal part of R 1, stigma and R 4+5 paler.

Abdomen. Metallic blue-green to deep blue, with black hairs. Venter darker than dorsum, 8 th sternite with gonapophyses wide, relatively shiny; spermathecal bulbs slender and little darker than ducts.

Distribution. From E of Mossman in NE QLD, S along the Great Dividing Range to Sydney NSW and west to Mudgee and Dubbo. QLD: Windsor Tablelands via Mt Carbine, Jan., I. Fanning; Hann Tableland Radar Station, Nov., G. B. Monteith and P.Bouchard; Wongabel Rd., via Atherton, Nov., D. Gibson; Hinchinbrook Is., Jan., S. Hamlet;Westwood, Oct., A.N. Burns; Mt Moffatt Nat. Pk., Nov. C.J. Burwell, Feb., S.G. Wright; Byfield, Jan., I.F.B. Common; Westwood, Oct., A.N. Burns; Blackland Tableland via Dingo, Dec., Maywald and Czechura; Port Curtis; Rosedale (Watalgan Ra.), Feb., H. Frauca; Kroombit Tops, 45 km SSW Calliope, Dec., G.B. Monteith and Thompson; Fraser Is., Feb., M.J. Mackerras; Eidsvold, Oct.–Nov., L.O. Bancroft, Dec., M.J. Mackerras, J. Bancroft; Biggenden (Bluff Ra. Foothills), Dec., H. Frauca; 64 km W of Maryborough; 33 km SW Tinnanbar, Dec., C.J. Burwell; Mary's Ck, at light, Dec., E. Britton and S Misko; Tin Can Bay, July; Kilcoy, Oct.; Beerburrum, Jan., Smale; Amberley, Dec., H.A. Standfast; Greenbank, Nov., H.A. Standfast; Durikai, Feb., D.M. Spratt; Inglewood. NSW: 13 km W of Woolgoolga, Feb., T.G. Campbell; Bargibal No. I Bundarra, Dec., E.J. Waterhouse; Terry Hie Hie, Dec., M.J. Muller; Smith's Ck, Jan., B. McMillan; Kendall, Dec.-Mar.; 3 km N Lansdowne via Taree, Dec., G. & T. Williams; Dubbo, Dec.; Mudgee; Asquith, Jan., A.L. Dyce, Jan., M.J. Muller.

Remarks. Hardy (1929) assessed the validity of Tasmania as the type locality of four species of Tabanus described by Macquart (1850) in the fourth supplement of his Diptères Exotiques. Hardy quoted two statements by Ferguson on this matter: “The locality (Tasmania) given by Macquart is probably wrong, other records appear to be all from Sydney.” (Ferguson & Hill, Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, xivii, 1922, 248). And, “The habitat (Tasmania) given by Macquart is to be doubted, as in the case of other species described from Tasmania, it is now known that they do not occur in that island but are found in the coastal districts of New South Wales and Queensland.” (Ferguson, Bulletin of Entomological Research, xiv, 1924, 261).”

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 13–15. 13. Cydistomyia casuarinae (English, Mackerras & Dyce) frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8. 14. Cydistomyia cyanea (Wiedemann) frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb. 15. Cydistomyia torresi (Ferguson & Hill) frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8.