Cydistomyia hardyi 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 : 30-31

Cydistomyia hardyi Mackerras & Spratt , sp. nov.

( Fig. 21 )

Type material. Holotype female, NSW, Katoomba, Dec. 1949, G.H. Hardy ( ANIC).

Non-type material examined. 2♂, 2♀ Clarence , Blue Mtns, 17 & 21.i.1979 , 1♂ 20.i.1984, NW Rodd ( AM) ; 2♂, 1♀ Bell , Blue Mtns, 15.i.1980, NW Rodd ( AM) ; ♀ Flagstaff Hill , Blue Mtns, 19.i.1979, NW Rodd ( AM) ; 1 ♀ NSW, Blackheath , Feb., R. Eastwood ( ANIC) .

Diagnosis. A distinctive large robust brown species close to fergusoni but distinguished from it by larger size, pale yellowish brown pear-shaped callus, absence of ocellar tubercle, ill-defined apical margins but conspicuous median triangular markings on abdominal tergites, and grey venter. Length 16 mm.

Female. Head. Eyes (relaxed) blackish, bare, (fine sparse hairs visible at 35X magnification), somewhat shiny. Frons rather narrow, index 4.0, distinctly bulging, with brown tomentum over most of area, light creamy fawn on eye margins, with short dark hairs; vertex hollow, vertical triangle poorly defined, no ocellar tubercle nor spot; callus pale yellowish brown, pear-shaped, about two-thirds width of frons at base, tapering to narrow extension which reaches to about middle of frons. Subcallus smooth, light fawn, with several short dark hairs on one side above antennae; parafacials and face with pale creamy grey tomentum, parafacials with fairly dense short black hairs, face almost bare, with small group of black hairs on each upper lateral corner and one or two below antennae; beard white. Antennal scape slender, pale fawn-cream with black hairs; pedicel cup-shaped, with dorsal prolongation, slightly darker than scape, with short black hairs; basal plate reddish brown, dorsal angle well developed, forming small knob; style darker reddish brown, almost black apically. Palpi creamy, with black hairs. Labella with narrow, rather weak, chitinised bar.

Thorax. Scutum and median area of scutellum light dull brown with faint yellowish hue, dorsocentral lines vaguely and anterior margins more definitely greyish, sublateral areas darker brown, interrupted at suture; lateral zone lighter, with dark mark above wing root; hairs predominantly black, with patch of white behind wing root, dull yellowish cream in front of scutellum, more creamy on apical margin. Pleura pale ashy grey, contrasting strongly with darker scutum, with relatively long dense white hairs, mixed with some black ones on mesopleura.

Legs. Anterior femora bright brown with black hairs, mid and hind pale yellowish brown with black and white areas; tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown, fore legs somewhat darker than mid and hind; all segments with black hairs mixed with some yellowish cream ones on anterior surface of hind tibiae and some short reddish brown ones ventrally on hind tarsi.

Wings. Somewhat greyish, with a little brownish darkening in costal cell; veins light brown; sc with sparse and irregular setulae above, normally setulose below.

Abdomen. Brown, darker than thorax, darker on third and subsequent tergites than on first two; pale apical margins of tergites barely indicated, somewhat paler median triangles on tergites 2–5; hairs on disc black, yellowish cream on median triangles, irregular on apical edges. Venter grey, slightly darker in middle, contrasting with dorsum in same way that pleurae contrast with scutum; sternites with narrow conspicuous creamy white apical edges; hairs white, black on median section of sternites.

Male. Similar to female generally, venter more yellowish brown than grey. Eyes bare, with upper facets enlarged, reddish brown, contrasting with small lower and posterior facets, also reddish brown. Antennae similar to female, slightly paler third antennal segment, narrower and with less well-developed dorsal angle. Parafacials with creamy tomentum with moderately long dense black hairs, face bare. Beard white. Palpi with fawn tomentum with long mixed black and white hairs. Legs almost uniformly brown with long fine mixed black and white hairs.

Distribution. Known only from the Blue Mountains, NSW.

Etymology. The specific epithet is honour of G.H.H. Hardy, for his contribution to knowledge of Australian Diptera .

Figures

FIGURES 19–21. 19. Cydistomyia fergusoni Mackerras & Spratt, sp. nov. frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb. 20. Cydistomyia tasmaniensis Mackerras & Spratt, sp. nov. frons, palp, antenna. 21. Cydistomyia hardyi Mackerras & Spratt, sp. nov. frons, palp, antenna, female terminalia, sternite 8, spermathecal bulb.