Cydistomyia fergusoni 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 : 27-28

Cydistomyia fergusoni Mackerras & Spratt , sp. nov.

( Fig. 19 )

Type material. Holotype female, NSW, Asquith, Jan. 1963, A.L. Dyce ( ANIC) . Paratypes, same data but collected Dec. 1968, 1970, ( ANIC) .

Non-type material examined. QLD: 1♀ Sunday Ck Jimna SF, 18.ii.1999, G. Daniels ( GDCB) ; 1♀ Mt Nebo , xii.1957, E.H. Derrick ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Coomera R. nr Canungra , 25.xii.1923, A. Musgrave ( AM) ; 5♀ Mt Mistake, nr Laidely , 12.i.1971, D.M. Spratt ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Darlington, 11.ii.1957, F.A. Perkins ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Springbrook , 1.xii.1949, I.M. and M.J. Mackerras ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Lamington Nat. Pk., H.J. Carter ( ANIC) . NSW 1♀ Basket Swamp Falls, Boonoo SF nr Tenterfield , 10.xii.2003 , 1♀ 3.i.2004, G. and A. Daniels ( GDCB) ; 2♀ Cloud Ck and West Camp , Clarence R., 12-14.i.1926 ( ANIC) ; 1♂ Bruxner Park nr Coffs Harbour , 22.i.1971, D.K. McAlpine ( AM) ; 1♀ Nymboida R., nr Dorrigo , 9.i.1952, I.M. and M.J. Mackerras ( ANIC) ; 2♀ Mt Drummond , 14.xi.1957, F.A. Perkins ( ANIC) ; 3♀ Barrington Tops , 13-17.xii.1939, G.M. Goldfinch ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Eccleston , i.1928, M.E. Fuller ( ANIC) ; 2♀ Upper Allyn R., 14.ii.1968, D.H. Colless ( ANIC) ; 2♀ Mill , Allyn R., 18.xii.1922, G.M. Goldfinch ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Hawkesbury R., 13.xii.1923 ( ANIC) .; 1♀ Milson Is. , Hawkesbury R., 14.x.1921, J.B. Cleland ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Upper Allyn nr. Eccleston , 16.ii.1967, D.K. McAlpine ( AM) ; 5♀ nr Cutler’s Pass , Williams R., 10.i.1943, A. Musgrave ( AM) ; 1♀ Mooney Mooney Ck, nr Gosford , 12.xii.1978, D.K. McAlpine & B.J. Day ( AM) ; 3♀ McCarr's Ck , 7-12.i.1971, E. Gross ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Kurrajong , 7.ii.1902, Musson ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Broken Bay, 31.xii.1923, I.M. Mackerras ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Govett's Ck , 31.i.1953, B. McMillan ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Grose R., Blue Mtns, i-ii.1953, M. Henry ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Blackheath , 1.ii.1926, I.M. Mackerras ( ANIC) ; 2♀ Mt Ku-ring-Gai , 30.xii.1951, B. McMillan ( ANIC) ; 2♀ Wahroonga , xii.1925, Galston ( ANIC) ; 2♀ i.1926, Wood ( ANIC) ; 2♀ Dee Why , i.1928, M.E. Fuller ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Nepean R., i.1932, A. Musgrave ( AM) ; 1♀ Wentworth Falls, Blue Mtns , 2.ii.1954, D.K. McAlpine ( AM) ; 3♀ Sydney , 26.xii.1962, Reese ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Middle Harbour , 23.i.1926 ( ANIC) ; 1♂ Royal Nat. Pk. , 28.xii.1970, D.K. McAlpine ( AM) ; 1♀ Otford , Royal Nat. Pk., 31.i.1961, D.H. Colless ( ANIC) ; 3♀ Werong , Royal Nat. Pk., 26.i.1979, R. Eastwood ( GDCB) ; 1♀ National Falls , Royal Nat. Pk., 7.ii.1978, G. Daniels ( GDCB) ; 1♀ Cabramatta , 10.i.1960, M.I. Nikitin ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Heathcote , 5.i.1952, B. McMillan ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Colo Vale , 25.i.1956, A.K. O’Gower ( ANIC) , 1♀ 10.ii.1955, A.L. Dyce ( ANIC) , 1♀ 8.ii.1954 G. Sackelarion ( ANIC) , 1♀ 5.ii.1956, D.J. Lee and A.L. Dyce ( ANIC) ; 1♀ Engadine nr Sydney , 31.i.1979 ,, P. Heilman ( GDCB) .

Diagnosis. A medium-sized brown species, superficially resembling Dasybasis circumdata (Walker) , but generally paler, with bare eyes, narrower frons, usually clear indications of ocelli, differently shaped callus; and vein R 4 without appendix. Distinguished from C. palmensis and C. pseudoardens as noted under those species. Readily distinguished from C. bancroftae by its paler brown colouration, absence of brown suffusion on costal cell and wing veins, narrower frons, conspicuous callus extending full width of frons at base, and longer more slender antennae. Length 11–14 mm.

Female. Head. Eyes (relaxed) reddish brown, bare, (fine sparse hairs visible at 35X magnification). Frons medium, parallel, index 3.7–4.4, with dark brown tomentum, paler on eye margins, with short dark hairs on darker part; vertex slightly hollow, vertical triangle grey, with relatively dense short hairs; ocellar tubercle well defined, usually with three flat but definite ocelli; callus pyriform, bulging, shiny, brown, nearly full width of frons at base, with tapered extension that reaches to slightly above middle of frons. Subcallus smooth, with greyish white tomentum, yellowish above antennae, without hairs; parafacials and face greyish white, with white hairs mixed with some black ones above and below; beard greyish white. Antennae slender; scape distinctly longer than wide, with well-marked dorsal hood, with greyish tomentum and short black hairs; pedicel cup-shaped, with dorsal prolongation, brown with black hairs; basal plate brown, narrow, with small but sharp sub-basal dorsal angle; style chocolate brown. Palpi thin, tapered to fine point, with relatively long creamy hairs basally above and below, dark brown ones more distally.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum brown with greyish hue, hairs black and creamy white, without well marked tufts or zones. A narrow dark median line and the sublateral ground colour which is darker olivebrown than the median area, give the appearance of two broad, widely separated darker vittae on a relatively pale scutum. Pleura light grey, with greyish white hairs, few darker ones on upper mesopleural convexity.

Legs. Femora brown, with greyish overlay, hairs greyish white, anterior surface of fore femora shiny mahogany brown, with black hairs; remaining segments darker brown, darkening to blackish on tarsi, with black hairs.

Wings. Uniformly pale greyish; veins brown; stigma inconspicuous relative to previous two species, brown.

Abdomen. Cinnamon brown, with dark brown to black hairs. Apical margins well defined, paler brownish grey; tergites 2–5 with median triangles bearing creamy white hairs. Venter brownish grey, darker in centres of sternites, paler on apical edges, hairs black on darker centres, creamy white elsewhere.

Male. The male of this species remains in question as none have been collected with characteristic females. However, two specimens are at hand which, although differing somewhat, may be males of C. fergusoni .

Mt Waring specimen: Similar to female but with more conspicuous pale median triangles on abdominal tergites and less conspicuous vittae on scutum due to dense covering of erect long dark brown hairs on scutum and scutellum. Eyes bare, (few scattered short hairs just visible at 35X magnification), with upper facets enlarged, reddish brown, contrasting with small darker lower and posterior facets. Ocellar tubercle not observed. Antennae missing. Face greyish white with black hairs. Beard dark brownish black. Palpi with fawn tomentum, with long dark brown hairs. Legs almost uniformly brown, fore tibiae darker brown, with long mixed white and brown hairs on femora, short dark brown hairs elsewhere.

Hornsby specimen: A worn and rubbed male specimen differs from the above as follows: ocellar tubercle present, greyish brown, elongate, sunken below level of eyes. Antennal scape and pedicel dark brown with slight dorsal prolongations, with few dark brown hairs; basal plate of flagellum amber-brown, with gentle dorsal angle, style darker brown. Face more grey; palps grey with paler hairs.

Distribution. SE QLD from the Brisbane region to the Sydney area NSW and west to the Blue Mountains.

Etymology. The specific epithet is in honour of the late Dr E.W. Ferguson, former Director of Public Health in NSW, for his contribution to knowledge of Tabanidae in Australia.

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.