Tabanus lutzi Kröber

(Figs 35 A–D, 36)

Tabanus lutzi Kröber, 1934: 296 (cat.; Tabanus (Lophotabanus), nom. nov. para macquarti Kröber, 1930); Pechuman, 1942: 56 ( Tabanus (Lophotabanus)) (list of species); Stone, 1944: 136 ( Tabanus ( Tabanus)) (list of species); Fairchild, 1967b: 362 (list of species), 1971: 96 (cat.); Moucha, 1976: 120 (cat.); Fairchild, 1984: 26, fig. 16, map 5 (rev.); Fairchild & Burger, 1994: 141 (cat.); Ríos et al., 2004: 61, 62 (list of species); Coscarón & Papavero, 2009b: 134 (cat.).

Tabanus macquarti Kröber, 1930b: 83 ( Tabanus (Lophotabanus); preocc. Schiner, 1868); Fairchild 1967b: 362 (list of species).

Distribution: Colombia, Venezuela.

Type-locality: “ Venezuela ”.

Diagnosis: Large specimens (19.7 mm). Frons narrow (FI: 6.0), parallel or convergent at base (DI: 1.2). Scutum and scutellum integument reddish-brown and mostly yellowish pruinose and setulose. Pleura with a slightly evident tuft of dark setulae below the wing base. Wing light brown tinged at cells br and bm and costal cell. Legs integument ranges from light brown to black, with setulae exhibiting the same color variation. Abdomen integument yellowish-brown without well-defined setulae spots, yellowish setulae on dorsolateral and central portion darker (tergite I to IV), from tergite IV onwards only dark setulae.

Remarks: Our illustrated specimen of Tabanus lutzi (Figs. 35A–D) has the thorax and legs darker than the holotype. This color range has also been documented by Fairchild (1984). T. lutzi is easily distinguished from other species of the T. nebulosus group due to the absence of any dorsal spots, triangles or stripes on the abdomen. This in some extension resembles T. punctipleura, but these species can be easily separated by the long antennal tooth (which is absent in T. lutzi) and a tuft of evident dark setulae on the pleura, which is less noticeable in T. lutzi . Fairchild (1984) suggested that T. lutzi might belong to the T. nebulosus group, but he was uncertain of the species placement. We decided to keep the species in the T. nebulosus group due to the presence of the pre-scutellar black setulae spot and frons similar to other species of the group. The male is unknown. The localities in Colombia with T. lutzi fits the Andean/Mesoamerica distribution pattern of Amorim & Pires (1996). If this is correct, it is likely that this species should also be found in Panama and Costa Rica, for example.