Acanthocera buestani a new species of rare wasp-like horsefly, with notes on the subgenus Querbetia from Ecuador

ABSTRACT

Horse flies from the Neotropical region include many endemic and rarely collected groups. In this study, we describe a new species of a poorly known genus, Acanthocera (Querbetia) buestani, from Napo, Ecuador. The Querbetia subgenus is underrepresented in entomological collections by scarce historical specimens, still this group is one of the most easily recognizable and peculiar Tabanidae thanks to its inflated antennomere. This new species can be distinguished by its proboscis and palpi, longer than the other species of the subgenus Querbetia and body coloration pattern. We included an illustrative key to identify this subgenus and its species. Additionally, we report for the first time A. inopinata from Ecuador.

KEYWORDS:

• Tabanidae
• Tabanomorpha
• Diptera
• taxonomy
• Amazonia

Acknowledgments

We thank to Jaime Buestan, Honorary Professor of Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad de Guayaquil and Associated Researcher at INABIO, for donating part of his collection to INABIO (MECN) and trust us for the description of this new species. His work has inspired several generations of entomologists in Ecuador.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).