Tabanus vestigium, Dutra & Amorim & Carmo, 2025

Tabanus vestigium sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FBF3D8F6-4D4F-4FE5-B3EB-C8FFCF342FB0

( Figs 52 A–D View FIGURE 52 , 53 A–D View FIGURE 53 , 54 A–F View FIGURE 54 , 55 View FIGURE 55 )

Distribution: Brazil (São Paulo).

Type-locality: Brazil, São Paulo, Araçatuba.

Diagnosis: Medium to moderately large sized specimens (12,8– 17mm). Frons relatively broad (FI: 3.5–4), and convergent at base (DI: 1.2–1.5). Palpus mostly covered by black setulae. Wing hyaline. Scutum yellowish-brown with a broad dorsomedial and two narrower dorsolateral gray pruinosity stripes. Abdomen yellowish-brown with a row of dorsomedial pale setulose acute triangles and dorsolateral oblique spots, footprint-shaped, of the same color (tergite I to VI).

Description: Female Holotype: Moderately large species, body 15,8 mm, wing 14,3 mm. Frons wide (FI: 3.5) and convergent at base (DI: 1.3), yellowish-brown, yellowish pruinose with mostly black and few golden setulae, callus yellowish-brown and drop-shaped, not touching the eye margin, prolonged in a narrow median callus, surpassing half of frons, vertex white pruinose and slightly sunken, weak vestigial ocelli. Subcallus and gena concolor with frons, subcallus rectangular shaped and yellowish pruinose, gena whitish pruinose with white setulae, yellowish pruinose band lateral to subcallus. Clypeus yellowish and white pruinose and setulose. Scape with white setulae ventrally and black setulae dorsally, the apex expanded over the pedicel, scape and pedicel yellowish-brown, pedicel black setulose with a project spike at apex, postpedicel orangish-brown, darkening at the end, with a moderate tooth at base, tooth with black setulae at apex, the stylus dusky, nearly the same size as postpedicel. Palpus yellow in ground color and yellowish pruinose, the first segment white setulose, the second mostly black setulose with a few yellow setulae. Proboscis smaller than head height, light brown, prementum, and labellum almost yellow. Scutum reddish-brown with a broad whitish gray dorsomedial stripe and a sublateral pair of the same color, mostly black but a few mixed golden setulae. Prescutellum with a black setulose spot surrounded by light setulae. Scutellum reddish brown, whitish gray pruinose, mostly black but a few mixed golden setulae on the margin. Notopleuron lighter than scutum, yellow with black and golden setulae. Pleura yellowish brown and white setulose, except by dark setulae at the anepisternum, whitish pruinose. Legs mostly yellow and whitish pruinose, except by darker tarsi. Coxae white setulose and pruinose. Fore femur black setulose dorsally, white setulose ventrally and laterally, the remainder entirely white setulose. Fore tibia white setulose at base and black setulose at apex, the remainder black setulose dorsally and white setulose ventrally. Tarsi dark setulose. Wing hyaline, except by the yellow pterostigma, all veins light brown. Costal vein with a prominent sulcus basally. No appendix at R 4. Abdomen reddish-brown mostly dark setulose, except by yellow setulae at lateral of segments and abdominal stripes, integument slightly darker medially at segments 3 to 7; a posterior narrow white setulose band at all tergites; dorsomedial pale setulose and integumental interrupted triangles; dorsolateral pale setulose and integumental oblique spots, footprint-shaped, in segments 1 to 6; and tergites 4 to 6 with yellow integument laterally. Sternites with yellow integument, whitish pruinosity, and golden setulose, except for black setulae at sternite 7. Cerci nearly as long as wide. Sternite 8 longer than wide and moderately elevated at base. Lateral lobes located at medial portion of the plate. Hypogynial valves tapered and close together.

Variation: Body 12,8 to 17mm. FI: 3.5–4. DI: 1.2–1.5. Postpedicel of the antenna ranges from orange to brown.

Male: Moderately large length, body 13,9 mm wing 12,5 mm. As in female, except as follows. Ocellar tubercle vestigial, without ocelli. Holoptic eyes. Enlarged ommatidia occupying ⅔ of the eye. Subcallus reddish brown, and yellowish pruinose except by a dorsal triangle. Gena same color as subcallus, whitish gray pruinose with mixed brown and golden setulae. Palpus porrect, the first segment light setulose, the second dark setulose, except by a few mixed pale setulae. Gonocoxite higher than wide, apical extremity extending well beyond the limits of the gonostylus. Gonostylus truncated. Aedeagus short, not extending the apex of the gonocoxite. Gonocoxal apodemes and lateral ejaculatory apodeme long greatly surpassing the gonocoxite’s limits. Aedeagal tines slender and widened at the anterior extremity.

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the abdominal dorsolateral pale setulose oblique spots, footprint-shaped. Vestigium originates from Latin and means trace, footprint.

Remarks: This species is described based on records of eleven different localities in the state of São Paulo. Tabanus vestigium sp. nov. obviously fits in the T. nebulosus group due the presence of the dark setulose tuft in the prescutellum surrounded by pale setulae, unbanded eyes, moderately narrow frons and the absence of a long appendix at vein R 4+5. T. vestigium sp. nov. slightly resembles T. comosus , from which it can be easily distinguished by the narrower light-yellow setulose dorsomedial triangles on the abdomen (tergite 1 to 6), predominantly black setulae on palpus, and brownish on the pleura and legs, brown pruinosity on the scutum, and wider frons (FI <4). T. comosus has broader white setulose triangles (tergite 2 to 4), predominantly white setulae on palpus, pleura and legs, gray pruinosity on the scutum, and a narrower frons (FI> 4). The study of endemism patterns for Mycetophilidae in the Atlantic Forest ( Amorim & Santos 2018) showed a clearly separate fauna in the Semideciduous Atlantic Forest, with a 100% species turnover in relation to the same genera in the ombrophiles forest along the coast. Interestingly, all known specimens of Tabanus vestigium sp. nov. precisely fit into the general distribution pattern of the semideciduous forest. It is worth noting that this species was kept so far undetected, maybe misidentified with other of the species of the group nebulosus group in one of the states that received the largest attention of horse fly taxonomists. This means that tabanids, even being conspicuous and having received considerable attention in the literature, also have some traces of “dark taxa”.

Type material: Araçatuba, S.P. [São Paulo, BRAZIL] Faz. Jacarecatinga , Lane & Rabello col. xi-62 [Photographed] [Holotype 1♀] [ MZUSP] ; BRASIL, SP [São Paulo], Cássia dos Coqueiros, Cachoeira Itambé , 21º 17’45” S 47°06’43” W, x.27.2009, Coleta manual [Manual collected], Benjamin A.C.A, Bircol G.A.C, Carvalho J.E.R, Eiras M.C, Ferreira G.S, Manchon F.T, Santos L.G col. [Paratype 1♂] [ MZUSP] GoogleMaps ; xii-56 [On the lateral of the label], S. Paulo [ BRAZIL], Magda, 20° 38’ 42.26” S 50° 13’ 30.90” W, xii.1956, J. Lane [One male photographed] [Paratype 9♀, 1♂] [ MZUSP] GoogleMaps ; BRASIL, São Paulo, Turmalina, Fazenda São João , 20°00’13” S 50°26’02” W, 05.xii.2007, Malaise 1 branca [White malaise], F.B. Noll leg [Paratype 1♀] [ MZUSP] GoogleMaps ; BRASIL, SP [São Paulo], Getulina, Santa América , 21°49’12” S 50°03’44” W 31.x–26.xi.2016, Malaise trap on moist soil. RS Capellari leg [Paratype 5♀, 1♂] [ MZUSP] GoogleMaps ; BRASIL, SP [São Paulo], Macaubal, Distrito de Ida Iolanda, Fazenda Pauã , 20°44’34” S 49°55’45” W, 20.xii.2007, Malaise 1 Branca, F.B. Noll leg [Paratype 5♀] [ INPA] GoogleMaps ; Faz. Itaquerê , Boa Esperança do Sul, SP [São Paulo, BRAZIL], 17.xii.1964 [handwritten], K. Lenko col. [Paratype 2♀] [ MPEG] ; Faz. Itaquerê , Boa Esperança do Sul, SP [São Paulo, BRAZIL], 18.xii.1964 [Handwritten], K. Lenko col. [Paratype 2♀] [ MPEG] ; Faz. Itaquerê , Boa Esperança do Sul, SP [São Paulo, BRAZIL], 20.xii.1964 [handwritten], K. Lenko col. [Paratype 1♀] [ MPEG] ; 2-946 [on the lateral of the label] Est. S. Paulo [ BRAZIL], Avanhandava, Barra Mansa , Barreto col. [Paratype 3♀] [ MNRJ] ; São Paulo [ BRAZIL], Onda Verde, Faz. São João , Jan, 1946, F. Lane col. / 2503 / SF [Paratype 1♀] [ MNRJ] ; BRASIL, São Paulo, Turmalina, Fazenda São João , 20°00’13” S 50°26’02” W, 09.xii.2007 W. Noll Leg. [Paratype 1♀] [ RPSP] GoogleMaps ; Castilho, marg. esq. r. Paraná [Left margin of Paraná river] , SP [São Paulo, BRAZIL], 27. XI. [Handwritten] 1964, Exp. Depto. Zoo. [1♀] [ RPSP] ; Faz. Itaquerê , Boa Esperança do Sul, SP [São Paulo, BRAZIL], 17.xii.1964 [Handwritten], K. Lenko col. [Paratype 2♀] [ RPSP] ; Faz. Itaquerê , Boa Esperança do Sul, SP [São Paulo, BRAZIL], 20.xii.1964 [Handwritten], K. Lenko col. [1♀] [ RPSP] ; Faz. Itaquerê , Nova Europa, SP [São Paulo, BRAZIL], 19.xii.1964 [Handwritten], K. Lenko col., parque [park, Handwritten] [1♀] [ RPSP] ; BRASIL, SP [São Paulo], Macaubal, Distrito de Ida Iolanda, Fazenda Pauã , 20°44’34” S 49°55’45” W, 20.xii.2007, Malaise 1 Branca, F.B. Noll leg [4♀] [ CEUFT] GoogleMaps ; BRASIL, SP [São Paulo], Getulina, 21°49’12” S 50°03’44” W, 31.x–26.xi.2016, Malaise trap on moist soil. RS Capellari leg [1♀] [ CEUFT] GoogleMaps .

Additional material: BRASIL, São Paulo, Turmalina, Fazenda São João , 20°00’13” S 50°26’02”W, 05.xii.2007 W. Noll Leg. [79♀, 2♂] [ MZUSP] GoogleMaps ; BRASIL, São Paulo, Turmalina, Fazenda São João , 20°00’13” S 50°26’02” W, 16.xii.2008 W. Noll Leg. [40♀] [ MZUSP] GoogleMaps ; BRASIL, SP [São Paulo], Getulina, 21°49’12” S 50°03’44” W, 31.x– 26.xi.2016, Malaise trap on moist soil. RS Capellari leg [14♀] [ MZUSP] GoogleMaps ; BRASIL, SP [São Paulo], Macaubal, Distrito de Ida Iolanda, Fazenda Pauã , 20°44’34” S 49°55’45” W, 20.xii.2007, Malaise 1 Branca, F.B. Noll leg [124♀] [ MZUSP]; GoogleMaps Faz. Itaquerê , Boa Esperança do Sul, SP [São Paulo, BRAZIL], 17.xii.1964 [Handwritten], K. Lenko col. [2♀] [ MZUSP]; GoogleMaps xii-56 [On the lateral of the label], S. Paulo [ BRAZIL], Magda, 20° 38’ 42.26” S 50° 13’ 30.90” W, xii.1956, J. Lane [5♀] [ MZUSP]; GoogleMaps Faz. 8 pontos, Remédios, SP [São Paulo, BRAZIL], artigas—1936 [8♀] [ MZUSP] GoogleMaps .