Tabanus mackerrasi, Carmo & Henriques, 2019

Carmo, Daniel D. D. & Henriques, Augusto L., 2019, Taxonomy of Tabanus trivittatus species-group (Diptera: Tabanidae), with description of five new species, Zootaxa 4554 (1), pp. 63-100 : 76-77

Tabanus mackerrasi sp. n. Henriques & Carmo

( Figures 12 A–D, 36)

Diagnosis. Postpedicel long, about two times the style length. Notopleuron integument dark, concolorous with adjacent scutum. Fore coxa and femur dark-brown, remaining coxae and femora with yellow integument, sometimes infuscated at base. Abdominal middorsal stripe series of connected yellow triangles. Dorsolateral stripes series of disconnected dashes on tergites 1-4, sometimes barely visible on tergite 5. Abdomen weakly banded ventrally.

Holotype female. Length 11 mm, wing 9 mm. Eyes bare. Frons pruinescent yellow, divergent above, F.I. 6.6, D.I. 1.8. Callus brown, higher than wide. Median callus black surrounded by dark pruinosity and hairs. Subcallus inflated, light brown. Clypeus and gena pale gray with yellowish hairs, except for brownish pruinescence and hairs near antennal base. First and second antennal segments yellowish brown, third segment orange. Second segment of palpus pale yellow with black hairs, except for white hairs at base. Proboscis black, dark gray pruinescent.

Scutum and scutellum grayish brown pruinescent, recumbent golden hairs and somewhat erect black hairs mixed, integument black, except supra-alar area brown. Notopleuron concolorous with scutum, paler at center, covered with mixed black and golden hairs. Pleuron integument black, gray pruinescent with yellow hairs, except anepimeron and upper surface of katepisternum with integument yellowish brown. First coxa dark brown, remaining predominantly yellow with some black areas. Fore femur dark brown with black hairs. Fore tibia strongly bicolored, basal 2/3 white with white hairs, the remainder blackish with black hairs. Fore tarsus blackish with black hairs, brown hairs ventrally. Mid and hind femora integument yellowish with yellow hairs, infuscated with brown pruinescence on basal 2/3. Mid tibia yellowish with white hairs except for black hairs at apical region. Hind tibia yellowish with white hairs except by fringe of black hairs on ventral surface. Mid and hind tarsi yellowish brown, covered with dark pruinosity and black hairs. Wings lightly infuscated on r1 and r2+3, stigma yellowish.

Abdomen brown, darkening toward apex. Middorsal stripe series of continuous yellowish pruinescent, yellow haired triangles on tergites 1-6. Dorsolateral stripesseries of disconnected yellowish pruinescent dashes on tergites 1-4, faint at 5. Sternites 1-3 pale brown, remainder darker, largely covered with white hairs, black hairs at bases of sternites 3-6, wholly black on 7.

Male. Unknown

Comments. This species is very similar to T. trivittatus and T. macrocerus sp. n., separated from the former by the somewhat paler integument, mid and hind coxae and femora. Additionally, T. mackerrasi is separated from T. macrocerus sp. n. by the dark notopleuron, concolorous with adjacent scutum, some specimens of T. mackerrasi also have a black integumental stripe ventrally at the abdomen, however this character is variable. Despite of using only one character, we decided to propose these as two species, since the character in question, the pattern of coloration of the notopleuron with relation to the notum, is a character traditionally used to delimitate species in the trivittatus group ( Fairchild 1976; Gorayeb & Rafael 1984), being a crucial character in the key. Further evidence may show this three species, to be the same taxon or a complex of several species.

Type material. Holotype female: BRASIL, Maranhão, Alto Turiaçu , Aldeia Gurupiuna, 19 a 22.II.90, Helder Queiros Coletor. Armadilha 1,6 m suspensa ( MPEG); paratypes: same data as holotype (3 ♀ MPEG), BRAZIL, Pará, Município Benevides, PA- 408 km 0 6, 10-XI-1980, R. B. Neto (♀ INPA ♀ MZUSP); same locality as holotype, 16.19. II.90 (♀ INPA); BRASIL, Serra Norte, Manganês, 22-X-1984, 14:30 às 14 h cavalo [horse] MPEG DIP 12005349 (♀ MZUSP).

Etimology. We named this species in honor of the late Australian entomologist Ian Murray Mackerras, in recognition of his great contribution to the classification and morphology of horse flies.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Tabanus mackerrasi sp. n. Holotype female. A. Dorsal habitus. B. Lateral habitus. C. Head, anterior view. D. Head, lateral view. Scale bars. A, B. 5 mm. C, D. 1 mm.