Saropogon kenyensis, Londt, 1997

Londt, Jason G. H., 1997, Afrotropical Asilidae (Diptera) 29. A review of the genus Saropogon Loew, 1847 (Dasypogoninae), ANNALS OF THE NATAL MUSEUM 38, pp. 137-157 : 145-146

Saropogon kenyensis sp. n.

Figs 11-15

Etymology: Named after Kenya, from which all known material has been collected.

Description: Based on holotype d.

Head ( Figs 11-12 ): Entirely dark red-brown to black; face brown-red pruinose, frons, vertex and occiput silver pruinose except for most of ocellarium, which is shiny apruinose. Setae of frons, vertex and occiput white. Antenna orange; setae pale yellow; proportional lengths of segments - 1: 1.2: 2.7: 0.2; microsegment with subapical pit-enclosed seta. Width of eye: width of face ratio 1.3: 1 (Le. face somewhat narrower than eye). Mystax pale yellow-white; composed of ca. 60 setae arranged in 3 rows along lower facial margin. Palpus dark red-brown. Proboscis dark red-brown, gently downcurved distally.

Thorax: Mesonotum dark red-brown, postpronotal and postalar lobes brown-orange; silver pruinose especially on lateral margins. Macrosetae yellow: 2 npl; 2 spal; 2 pal; ca. 2 pairs dc postsuturally; pronotal lobes equipped with 4 yellow macrosetae. Scutellum dark red-brown with orange border, 2 yellow marginal macrosetae; disc asetose, silver pruinose. Pleura dark red-brown, gold-silver pruinose; katatergite with ca. 12 scattered pale yellow setae. Wing: 6.9 x 2.6 mm; cell m3 open, cup closed at margin; membrane yellow stained, opaque; microtrichia cover entire wing except for alula and base of anal cell (wings have an overall yellow-brown appearance). Halter: Pale yellow. Legs: Pale brown-yellow, anteroproximal parts of pro- and mesothoracic femora red-brown; macrosetae mostly yellow, but some red-brown.

Abdomen: Brown-orange with dark red-brown areas as follows - entire Tl except for small lateral areas, anterodistal half of T2, anterodistal one-third of T3, lateral spots on T2-5 (terminal segments cleared for genital illustration); macrosetae pale yellow, confined to lateral parts of Tl. Genitalia ( Figs 13-15 ): not rotated; hypandrium rounded distally, with flat membranous projection between gonocoxites ( Fig. 15 ); phallus well developed, downtumed distally ( Fig. 13 ).

Variation: The males listed below agree well with the holotype. The abdomen may be more extensively dark red-brown; the anterior faces of the metathoracic femora may be partly dark red-brown; cell cup may be narrowly open at the wing margin. There appears to be some sexual dimorphism as the single female paratype has a bright gold pruinose face and mesonotum.

Material examined: KENYA: 1 ♂ holotype, ' Kenya 6 km S Kapedo 1 Hot waterfall 760m 1 01 °08'N: 36°06'E 1 2-3.vi.1980 B. Lamoral 1 Malaise trap.'; ' Saropogon ♂ 1? melanopygus Lw. / det. J.G.H. Londt, 1992' ( NMSA) ; 1 ♂ paratype, ' Kenya / near Archer's / Post [0039'N:37°41'E] / 20.ii.1964 / D. J. Greathead' ( BMNH) ; 2 ♂ I 9 paratypes, ' Kenya: Tsavo Nat. / Park. Kitani Lodge [3°00'S:3rS9'E] / 2600' 6.xii.1969 / M. E. Irwin & / E. S. Ross' ( CASC) .

Biological notes: Greathead (pers. comm.) describes Archer's Post as 'Waterhole on dirt road to Ethiopia. Open sandy savanna with scattered Acacia spp. and low shrubs'.

Relationships: The species cannot be confused with any other afrotropical species. S. kenyensis is similar to melampygus in that the wings are brown-stained and entirely covered with microtrichia, but is otherwise easily separated from that taxon. It appears that the open condition of cell m3 is a stable character state shared only with incisuratus and rubriventris , species otherwise differing from kenyensis .

Figures

Figs 11-15. Saropogon kenyensis sp. n. paratype d (Tsavo) 11-12. Head. 11. Lateral. 12. Anterior. 13-15. d genitalia. 13. Lateral. 14. Dorsal. 15. Ventral. Scale lines equall mm.