Saropogon kenyensis Londt 1997, sp. n.
Creators: name: Londt, Jason G. H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1997
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Asilidae
Saropogon
Saropogon kenyensis

description: Saropogon kenyensis sp. n. Figs 11-15 Etymology: Named after Kenya, from which all known material has been collected. Description: Based on holotype d. <i>Head</i> (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 <i>ca.</i> 60 setae arranged in 3 rows along lower facial margin. Palpus dark red-brown. Proboscis dark red-brown, gently downcurved distally. <i>Thorax:</i> Mesonotum dark red-brown, postpronotal and postalar lobes brown-orange; silver pruinose especially on lateral margins. Macrosetae yellow: 2 npl; 2 spal; 2 pal; <i>ca.</i> 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 <i>ca.</i> 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. <i>Abdomen:</i> 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 &amp;male; holotype, ' Kenya 6 km S Kapedo <i>1</i> Hot waterfall 760m <i>1</i> 01 °08'N: 36°06'E <i>1</i> 2-3.vi.1980 B. Lamoral <i>1</i> Malaise trap.'; <i>' Saropogon</i> &amp;male; <i>1</i> ? <i>melanopygus</i> Lw. / det. J.G.H. Londt, 1992' (NMSA); 1 <i>&amp;male;</i> <b>paratype,</b> ' Kenya / near Archer's / Post [0039'N:37°41'E] / 20.ii.1964 / D. J. Greathead' (BMNH); 2 <i>&amp;male;</i> I 9 <b>paratypes,</b> ' Kenya: Tsavo Nat. / Park. Kitani Lodge [3°00'S:3rS9'E] / 2600' 6.xii.1969 / M. E. Irwin &amp; / E. S. Ross' (CASC). Biological notes: Greathead <i>(pers. comm.)</i> describes Archer's Post as 'Waterhole on dirt road to Ethiopia. Open sandy savanna with scattered <i>Acacia</i> spp. and low shrubs'. Relationships: The species cannot be confused with any other afrotropical species. S. <i>kenyensis</i> is similar to <i>melampygus</i> 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 <i>incisuratus</i> and <i>rubriventris,</i> species otherwise differing from <i>kenyensis.</i>
description: Published as part of <i>Londt, Jason G. H., 1997, Afrotropical Asilidae (Diptera) 29. A review of the genus Saropogon Loew, 1847 (Dasypogoninae), pp. 137-157 in ANNALS OF THE NATAL MUSEUM 38</i> on pages 145-146, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8322154