Genus Myioscaptia Mackerras, 1955

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• Myioscaptia Mackerras, I.M. 1955. The classification and distribution of Tabanidae (Diptera) II. History: morphology: classification: subfamily Pangoniinae. Australian Journal of Zoology 3: 439-511 [496].

  Type species:

   Pangonia violacea Macquart, 1850 by original designation.

Introduction

An endemic genus of horse flies that are small, rotund and often resemble the general appearance and behaviour of blowflies, including the sound and pattern of low level flight (Mackerras 1960; Lessard 2014).

Little is known regarding the biology of the genus, although larvae and pupae have been described for Myioscaptia muscula (English, 1955) from sandy cave floors, sandstone cliffs and coexisting with antlion larvae (Mackerras 1960; Lessard 2014).

Previously considered to be a subgenus of Scaptia, it was raised to genus level based on molecular and morphological data (Lessard et al. 2013; Lessard 2014). A key to all 11 known species was provided by Lessard & Yeates (2013).

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW: Sydney Basin (SB) ; Qld: Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Wet Tropics (WT) ; WA: Pilbara (PIL)

General References

Lessard, B.D. 2014. Revision of the austral horse fly tribe Scionini (Diptera: Tabanidae). Austral Entomology [printed version: Austral Entomology (2014) 53, 203–239] (Raised to genus (stat. n.) from subgenus of Scaptia)

Lessard, B.D., Cameron, S.L., Bayless, K.M., Wiegmann, B.M. & Yeates, D.K. 2013. The evolution and biogeography of the austral horse fly tribe Scionini (Diptera: Tabanidae: Pangoniinae) inferred from multiple mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 68: 516-540

Lessard, B.D. in Lessard, B.D. & Yeates, D.K. 2013. New species of the hairy-eyed horse fly subgenera Scaptia (Myioscaptia) Mackerras, 1955 and Scaptia (Scaptia) Walker, 1850 (Diptera: Tabanidae) from Australia. Zootaxa 3680(1): 118-129

Mackerras, I.M. 1960. The Tabanidae (Diptera) of Australia III. Subfamily Pangoniinae, tribe Scionini and supplement to Pangoniini. Australian Journal of Zoology 8: 1-152

History of changes