Saropogon incisuratus Wulp, 1899

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 : 143-145

Saropogon incisuratus Wulp, 1899

Figs 6-10

Saropogon incisuratus Wu 1p, 1899: 82 PI. II fig. 1 (wing).

Saropogon eucerus incisuratus ; Hull, 1962: 278.

Wulp (1899) described this species on ' five male specimens from Lahej' (13 °01 'N: 44°54'E) collected by Col. 1. W. Yerbury in South Yemen. The OXUM has sent me four males (listed below); the whereabouts of the fifth specimen is not known. Wulp (1899) did not designate a holotype so all his specimens must be considered syntypes. I here designate the male labelled as Type Dip: 182 114 (accession number 7677) as lectotype and consider the other OXUM specimens to be paralectotypes. Wulp did not comment on the species' relationships with other taxa.

Redescription: Based on lectotype d.

Head ( Figs 6-7 ): Face brown-yellow, silver-gold pruinose; frons, vertex and occiput dark red-brown to black, silver-gold pruinose except for a transverse band across vertex, including most of ocellarium, which is shiny apruinose. Setae of frons and vertex black, of occiput black and whitish. Antenna brown-yellow, slightly darker distally; setae dark red-brown; proportional lengths of segments - 1: 2.0: 5.5: 0.9; microsegment with subapical pit-enclosed seta. Width of eye: width of face ratio 1.6: 1. Mystax pale yellow-white; composed of ca. 12 setae and confined to lower facial margin. Palpus dark red-brown. Proboscis dark red-brown, straight.

Thorax: Mesonotum dark red-brown, postpronotal and postalar lobes brown; fine silver pruinose, especially along lateral margins. Macrosetae pale yellow-white: 2 npl; 2 spal; 2 pal; ca. 2 pairs dc postsuturally. Scutellum dark red-brown, lateral parts slightly paler, with 2 pale yellow-white marginal macrosetae; disc asetose, silvergold pruinose. Pleura dark red-brown, silver-gold pruinose; katatergite with ca. 12 scattered pale yellowish setae. Coxae as pleura but red-brown pminose. Wing: 4.8 x 1.7 mm; cells m} and cup open; membrane unstained, transparent; microtrichia confined to wing margins and tip giving these areas a grey appearance. Halter: Pale brown-yellow. Legs: Pale brown-yellow except for tarsi which are slightly darker, metathoracic femur which has a large dark red-brown patch mid-dorsally extending onto anterior and posterior surfaces, and trochanters which are dark red-brown like coxae; setae yellowish and dark red-brown, the latter mostly on tarsi.

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Abdomen: Dark red-brown to black, terminalia brown-orange, hind margins of T2-4 silver pruinose; macrosetae pale yellow-white, confined to lateral parts of Tl, setation white. Genitalia ( Figs 8-10 ): rotated ca. 90° clockwise; gonocoxite with elaborate branched distal projections; hypandrium with well-developed membranous, distal lobe ( Fig. 10 ); phallus well developed and projecting distally to be approximately level with proctiger ( Fig. 8 ).

Variation: Paralectotypes concur remarkably with the lectotype. The 9 of this species has not been identified (although it is possible that the unique 9 of rubriventris may be conspecific - see discussion below).

Material examined: Types ( OXUM): SOUTH YEMEN: 1 ♂ lectotype, 'Type / v.d. Wulp / Trans. Ent. Soc. / 1899, page 82 / pI. ii, fig. 1 '; ' So W. Arabia / 15 miles N. W. of / Aden, Lahej / Capt. Mar. 28.95 [1895] by / J. W. Yerbury'; '1899 / 7677'; 'Type Dip: 182 114 / Saropogon / incisuratus / van der Wulp / Hope Dept. Oxford'. 3 ♂ paralectotypes same data but Mar. 10.95, 189917681 (Type 182 2/4), Mar 5.95, 189917680 (Type 1823/4), Mar. 17.95, 189917678 (Type 1824/4) .

Relationships: While Hull (1962) considered incisuratus to be a subspecies of eucerus (Loew) , this combination was not accepted by Oldroyd (1980). A decision on this matter can only be made after taxonomic review of the palaearctic fauna. For the present incisuratus appears to be a distinctive species within the afrotropical fauna. The open cell m3 suggests affinity with rubriventris (see below) and possibly kenyensis .

Figures

Figs 6-10. Saropogon incisuratus Wulp. 6-7. Head, lectotype r:J (Lahej). 6. Lateral. 7. Anterior. 8-10. r:J genitalia, paralectotype () (Lahej). 8. Lateral. 9. Dorsal. 10. Ventral. Scale lines equal 1 mrn