Cydistomyia hyperythrea (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 : 38-40

Cydistomyia hyperythrea (Bigot)

( Fig. 28 )

* Atylotus hyperythreus Bigot, 1892: 674 ; Chainey 1990: 274. Holotype female, Australia (BMNH).

Tabanus hyperythreus ; Froggatt 1911: 14, 1915: 15; Ricardo 1915 a: 286; Surcouf 1921: 71.

Cydistomyia hyperythrea ; Mackerras 1959: 167; Daniels 1989; 287; Bickel & Elliot, 1998 -2005: 3. Tabanus lorentzi ; Ricardo, 1915 a: 286, nec Ricardo, 1913: 400 (misidentified, New Guinea).

Other material examined. 10 ♀, 1 ♂.

Diagnosis. A medium-sized, parallel-sided, reddish brown species, with fairly well-defined contrast between darker dorsum and pale greyish pleura and venter, orange-brown antennae, pale creamy fawn palpi; wings suffused with greyish brown, and light yellowish brown legs. Distinguished from C. nigropicta and C. avida by paler callus blending into wider frons, more dense covering of black hairs on palps, short basal plate with gentle median dorsal and ventral angles. Length 12–16 mm.

Female. Head. Eyes in life green (relaxed) blackish, bare, (fine sparse hairs just visible at 35X magnification). Frons parallel, index 3.8–4.4, with bright brown tomentum, short dark brown hairs; ocellar tubercle not visible; callus pale reddish brown, about two-thirds width of frons at base, with tapered extension to just above middle of frons. Subcallus yellowish fawn, with occasional inconstant dark hairs on upper part; parafacials pale creamy fawn, with brown hairs; face a little paler, almost entirely bare; beard brown, with some greyish white hairs below. Antennal scape and pedicel light greyish fawn to yellow, with brownish black hairs; flagellum bright orange-brown, style darker at extreme tip, basal plate short with gentle median dorsal and ventra1 angles. Palpi pale creamy fawn with brownish black hairs, a few pale ones below.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum bright reddish to a yellowish brown, with faint indications of dorsocentral lines, with erect dark brown hairs and appressed dull golden ones. Pleura pale grey with fawnish tints, hairs greyish white mixed with a few dark ones on mesopleural area.

Legs. Light yellowish brown; hairs mixed dark brown and greyish white on fore and mid femora, almost entirely creamy white on hind femora, bright brown on other segments except for some black ones on posterolateral aspect of hind tibiae.

Wings. Lightly and evenly suffused with greyish brown, costal cell dark brown; stigma bright brown, moderately conspicuous; veins brownish yellow.

Abdomen. Bright reddish brown, sometimes with yellowish hue, with apices of tergites only faintly, if at all, paler; hairs on disc mixed dark brown and deep golden, mainly dark brown on lateral margins, with some blackish hairs at margins of 3rd and 4th tergites and some greyish white ones on 5th tergite. Venter light greyish brown, with some overlying pale grey tomentum; hairs black in central part of sternites, greyish white laterally and conspicuously creamy white on paler apical edges.

Male. Similar to female but more hairy. Eyes bare, with upper facets markedly enlarged, yellowish brown, contrasting with dark brown small lower and posterior ones. Ocellar tubercle sunken below level of eyes, ocelli not observed. Palpi yellowish fawn, second segment with brown and some white hairs. Scutum with long dull golden hairs, contrasting with silky white pleural hairs.

Distribution. NE NSW from Dorrigo to the Sydney region. NSW: Dorrigo, Jan., Wright; Myall Lakes, Nov., Le Souef; Grose R., Jan., Henry; Woodford, Jan., I.M. Mackerras; 64 km N of Sydney, Dec., Riek; Galston, Dec., Willings; Kundibakh, C. Dennes; Asquith, Dec., A.L. Dyce; Sydney, Jan., Urquhart; Nat. Pk., Jan., I.M. Mackerras; Bundeena, Dec., Nikitin.

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.