Lissimas Enderlein, 1922

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 : 9-10

Genus Lissimas Enderlein

Lissimas Enderlein, 1922: 350, 1925: 336 ; Mackerras 1962 b: 106, figs 7–8, 10 (as subgenus of Cydistomyia ), 1964: 101, figs 37–43; Daniels 1989; 291; Trojan 1998: 72; Bickel & Elliot, 1998 -2005: 11. Type species. Lissimas fenestratus Enderlein , by monotypy. [Sulawesi (as Celebes)].

Paracanthocera Enderlein, 1923: 545, 1925: 333 ; Oldroyd 1949: 331 (removed from Enderlein’s tribe Acanthocerca into his Diachlorini where it runs to Lissimas ); Mackerras 1959: 165, 1962: 105 (as subgenus of Cydistomyia ), 1964: 101 (as synonym of Lissimas ). Type species. Acanthocera australis Ricardo , by monotypy. [North Queensland].

Diagnosis. Essential features that distinguish this genus from Cydistomyia are banded eyes; shape and usually length of antennae; presence of either a pouting, shiny subcallus or a bulging, shiny face; body form rather Chrysops -like; and general resemblance between less clearly differentiated species and those distinguished by more definite characteristics of the head or pattern of wings.

Description. Female. Eyes bare, usually (perhaps always) banded. Frons medium (index 3.5–5.0), slightly convergent to slightly divergent, usually dark, often more or less shiny; ocellar tubercle absent or rudimentary; callus large, spear- or wedge-shaped; subcallus pouting, more or less thinly tomentose, sometimes completely shiny; parafacials medium to narrow, thinly tomentose; face normal and tomentose, or more or less bulging and shiny; antennae relatively long and slender, usually longer than thickness of head, scape cylindrical and usually more than 2X as long as wide; palpi usually slender to medium, sometimes slightly shiny; proboscis short and stout. Thorax and legs normal. Wings often with conspicuous pattern; R 4 strongly curved, but usually without appendix. Abdomen elongate, usually parallel-sided; terminal segments dorsoventrally compressed; sternite 8 usually with wide, shallow gonapophyses. Small to medium sized (10–15 mm), narrow-bodied, smooth, usually rather ornate.

Male. The three known males differ so markedly that it is not possible to frame a satisfactory diagnosis. Lissimas moestus Szilady from the Celebes [= Sulawesi] (one specimen) was described as having eyes with the area of larger facets not sharply demarcated; ocellar tubercle narrow and deeply sunken; antennal scape bell-shaped and almost 2X as long as wide; palpi slender, of unusually primitive form; and R 4 without appendix. Lissimas australis from northern Qld (two specimens), has the enlarged upper facets sharply demarcated from the small lower ones by the size contrast and the presence of a green to greenish blue band; ocellar tubercle not visible; antennal scape cylindrical and more than 2X as long as wide; palpi short and almost globular; R 4 with inconstant rudimentary appendix .

A key to the species of Lissimas was provided by Mackerras (1964: 102–103).