Musca vetustissima Walker, 1849

Couri, Marcia S., Pont, Adrian C. & Daugeron, Christophe, 2010, The Muscidae (Diptera) of Vanuatu, Zootaxa 2556 (1), pp. 1-39 : 12-13

8. Musca vetustissima Walker , new record

Musca vetustissima Walker, 1849: 902 . Holotype female, “ New Holland ” [ Australia], in BMNH ( Pont 1973a: 148).

Diagnosis. Fronto-orbital plate in both sexes silver to greyish pollinose; palpus dark, cylindrical at tip; proepisternal depression bare; scutum with four black vittae before suture that fuse into a single broad pair behind suture, the scutum thus appearing bivittate after suture; sternite 1 bare; male syntergite 1+2 entirely black. Male hypopygium as in Figs 23, 28 and 33; male aedeagus with the postgonite minute; praegonite with 1 seta; epiphallus well developed, forked at tip (Fig. 43); female ovipositor long as in Figs 55 and 56 (all Figs in Pont 1973a).

Material examined. BMNH: Vanuatu: Ambrym: 22.vi.1925, 1 ♀ , P.A. Buxton. Aneityoum: Red Crest, 1200 feet, 3 km NE of Aneigauhat , vi.1955, 3 ♂, 7 ♀, L.E. Cheesman; xi.1930, 1 ♂, 2 ♀; x.1930, 1 ♀, L.E. Cheesman. Banks: Santa Maria, Gaua, Nombur , 13.xi.1922, 1 ♂; 7.x.1922, 1 ♀, T.T. Barnard; Vanua Lava , x.1929, 3 ♀; xi.1929, 1 ♀, L.E. Cheesman. Éfaté: Port Vila , vii.1925, 1 ♀, P.A. Buxton; 1922, 1 ♂; 15.ix.1922, 1 ♀, T.T. Barnard. Epi: 12.vi.1925, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ , P.A. Buxton. Erromanga: vii.1930, 1 ♂ ; ix.1930, 1 ♀, L.E. Cheesman. Malekula: ii.1930, 1 ♂ , L.E. Cheesman; 14.vi.1925, 1 ♂, P.A. Buxton; Atchin , vii.1929, 1 ♂, L.E. Cheesman; Malua Bay , vi.1929, 5 ♂, 8 ♀, L.E. Cheesman; Ounua , ii.1929, 10 ♂, 2 ♀; iii–iv.1929, 2 ♂, 4 ♀; iv– v.1929, 5 ♂, L.E. Cheesman; NE, v.1929, 3 ♀, L.E. Cheesman. Santo: viii.1929, 1 ♀ , L.E. Cheesman. West Santo: Tatarii, 4000 feet , 10.xi.1933, 3 ♂, 3 ♀, J.R. Baker. Tanna: ix.1925, 1 ♀ , P.A. Buxton; x.1930, 2 ♀, L.E. Cheesman.

BPBM (identified as Musca sorbens by J.R. Vockeroth): Vanuatu: ix.1942, 1 ♀, R.L. Dautt. Éfaté: Port Vila , 11.ii.1925, 1 ♀, W. H. Ford. Espiritu Santo: SW, Tasmalum, 3 m, 4.ix.1957, 4 ♂, 2 ♀, J.L. Gressitt; Luganville, 20–30.viii.1958, 1 ♂, B. Malkin; Limestone Plateau N of Maat, 100 m, 17.viii.1957, 3 ♀, J.L. Gressitt; Segond Channel, viii.1950, 3 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss. Malekula: Tenmaru, 14.ix.1958, 16 ♂, B. Malkin .

BPBM: Vanuatu: Ambrym: 22–28.viii.1962, 1 ♀; 26.viii.1962, 2 ♂ (1 MNHN), 2 ♀; 22.viii–4.ix.1967, 1 ♂, J. & M. Sedlacek . Aneytioum: Anelgaohat , 0–200 m, xi.1978, 2 ♂, 2 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss . Banks: Vanoua Lava I, Sola to Chelva River , 0–20 m, 16.ix.1979, 1 ♂, 2 ♀, G.M. Nishida & G. A. Samuelsen . Éfaté: beach, 23.ii.1964, 2 ♀, R. Straatman; Port Vila, ii.1959, 4 ♂ (1 BMNH), 1 ♀; 0–100 m, iii.1970, 1 ♂; i.1976, 10 ♂ (1 MNRJ), 9 ♀; ii.1970, 2 ♂, 3 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; Port Vila , ii.1959, 3 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; 40 km NE Port Vila, 4.viii.1967, 1 ♂, 15 ♀, J. & M. Sedlaceck; Havannah Harbor, 0–50 m, xi.1970, 2 ♀; 19.i.1973, 6 ♀ (1 MNRJ), N.L.H. Krauss; Efate Pango Pt, 0–50 m, 19.iii.1970, 1 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; Sivivi, 50–150 m, 27.ii.1970, 1 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; Onesua, 0–20 m, 19.i.1973, 3 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; Limestone, Plateau N. of Maat, 100 m, 18.viii.1957, 1 ♂, 2 ♀, J.L. Gressitt . Espiritu Santo: 25 km NE Luganville, 12.iv.1964, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; 13.iv.1964, 2 ♀, R. Straatman; Hill E of Luganville, 100 m, 9.ix.1957, 1 ♂, 8 ♀ (1 BMNH), J.L. Gressitt; Big Bay, E Jordan River, 0–30 m, 11.ix.1979, 1 ♂, W.C. Gagné . Epi: Vaemali, 80–150 m, 11–18.viii.1967, 1 ♂, 2 ♀; 150 m, 9– 20.viii.1967, 2 ♀, Malaise trap; 10.viii.1967, 1 ♀; 11–18.viii.1967, 1 ♀; J. & M. Sedlaceck; Lowekewou, 0–100 m, 31.viii.1979, 1 ♀, W.C. Gagné, G. M. Nishida, G.A. Samuelson; Vlave , 2.viii.1967, 1 ♂ ( MNRJ), 2 ♀, J. & M. Sedlacek; Lamen Bay , 0–20 m, 3.ii.1976, 2 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss . Erromango: Navolou, 300 m, 2.iii.1964, 2 ♀, R. Straatman; Numpon, 250 m, 1.iii.1964, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 2.iii.1964, 1 ♀, Malaise trap; 28.ii.1964, 2 ♀, R. Straatman; 13.iii.1978, 1 ♂, 2 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; Dillon Bay, 0–100 m, iii.1978, 16 ♂, 34 ♀; i.1984, 7 ♂, 2 ♀; Dillon Bay , sea level, 29.ii.1964, 2 ♂, 2 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; Ipota , 0–100 m, iii.1970, 2 ♂, 1 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; 11 km W of Ipota, 200 m, ii.1970, 1 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; ii.1981, 1 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss . Lamen: 0–100 m, i.1976, 1 ♂, 5 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss . Maewo: Sounwari , 15°23S 168°07E, 0–360 m, 4–5.ix.1979, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss . Malekula: Lamap, 8–21.ix.1967, 3 ♀ (1 MNHN, 1 MNRJ), J. & M. Sedlacek; Port Sandwich , 0–50 m, 1.ix.1979, 1 ♀, W.C. Gagné, G. M. Nishida, G.A. Samuelson; Lakatoro, 22–30.ix.1967, 5 ♂, 11 ♀; 23.ix.1967, 2 ♂, 3 ♀; 29.xi.1967, 2 ♂, 2 ♀, J. & M. Sedlacek; 0–200 m, ii.1973, 6 ♂, 13 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss . Pentecost: 24.iii.1964, 4 ♀, R. Straatman; Batnavini, 0–100 m, 3.ix.1979, 2 ♂, sweeping, W.C. Gagné . Tanna: Lenakel, 0– 100 m, ix.1978, 2 ♂, 4 ♀; iii.1980, 4 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; 0–150 m, i.1977, 5 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; Port Resolution , 6.iii.1970, 1 ♀; 100 m, 6.vi.1970, 2 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; 0–200 m, i.1967, 1 ♀; i.1973, 3 ♂, 2 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; White Grass, 0–120 m, 8.iii.1980, 1 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; Loounapkaulangeus, 300–400 m, 3.iii.1970, 1 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss; Yerou: 200–300 m, 8.iii.1970, 1 ♀, N.L.H. Krauss .

Comments. Known in Australia as the bush fly, this is the first record of the species from Vanuatu, although it was recorded as M. sorbens from Éfaté and Espiritu Santo as a vector of bacillary dysentery ( Oman & Christensen 1947). For a full redescription, see Pont (1973a).

Distribution. Widespread in the Australasian and Oceanian Regions, from Indonesia and Australia to Hawai‘ian Is, New Caledonia ( New Caledonia), Vanuatu.