Species Ligyra bombyliformis (Macleay, 1826)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Anthrax bombyliformis Macleay, W.S. 1826. Annulosa, Catalogue of Insects, collected by Captain King, R.N. app. B, pp. 438-469, Table B in King, P.P. (ed.). Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia. Performed between the years 1818 and 1822; with Appendix B. London : John Murray Vol. 2 viii 637 pp., 9 pls. [Date published 15 Apr 1826: imprint 1827] [Publication date established from Common, I.F.B. & Moulds, M.S. 1973. The date of publication of Captain Phillip King's Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia. Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History 6(4): 257–259] [468].

  Type data:

   Neotype ANIC ♂ (1.i.1926, Mackerras), NSW: National Park, Gundemain.

  Type locality references:

  Paramonov, S.J. 1967. A review of the Australian species of Ligyra Newman (Hyperalonia olim) (Bombyliidae: Diptera). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 123-144 [Date published February] [129].
• Exoprosopa albiventris Thomson, C.G. 1869. Diptera. Species nova descripsit. pp. 443-614 in Unknown (ed.). Kongliga svenska fregatten Eugenies resa omkring jordan under befl af C.A. Virgin, Âren 1851-1853. Vol. 2 (Zoologi), [section] 1, (Insecta). Stockholm : P.A. Norstedt & Sner 617 pp. [480].

Generic Combinations

• Ligyra bombyliformis (Macleay, 1826).

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Distribution References

Diagnosis

♂. Head reddish, with yellowish scales and short black hairs. Vertex comparatively broad, three times as broad as ocellar triangle. Antennae brownish, second segment about one-third of the first, third segment conical, with a pencil-like narrow style, which is a little shorter than the basal part.
Thorax brown, with reddish scutellum. The collar (a row of very dense, long, erect hairs directed to the occiput) yellow. Hairs and scales on thorax mostly yellowish. Humeral calli with numberous black, hair-like bristles; the black bristles in front of base of wing, on postalar calli, and on mesopleura, are long and strong. Hind margin of scutellum with numerous, short, black bristles. Two very long tufts of black, hair-like bristles on the prosternal plates; anterior coxae predominantly blackhaired. Legs dark brown, with black scales. Halteres brown. Tufts of dense, yellow hairs on postnotal tubercules and suprasquamal ridge.
Wings with anterobasal one-third brownish, with about 8 small, dark spots on coloured and hyaline parts; 4 submarginal cells; first posterior cell closed. Vein r-m slightly before the middle of discal cell. Cell M2 distinctly S-shaped. Axillary cell very broad, twice as broad as anal cell.
Abdomen dark brown, or sometimes red-brown, dorsally. First tergite with very short, black hairs and scales, but with 2 dense tufts of whitish hairs at sides; second tergite very broad, with yellowish scales and whitish hairs laterally; third and fourth tergites with yellow scales, and with very short but rather numerous black hairs; remainder with whitish scales and some black hairs. Sternites with pure white hairs except for the two apical ones, which have yellowish scales and black hairs.

♀. Similar to the males but with slightly broader vertex.

Diagnosis References

Paramonov, S.J. 1967. A review of the Australian species of Ligyra Newman (Hyperalonia olim) (Bombyliidae: Diptera). Australian Journal of Zoology 15: 123-144 [Date published February] [129-30]

History of changes