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Issue: Vol. 4044 No. 4: 20 Nov. 2015
Type: Article
Published: 2015-11-20
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4044.4.5
Page range: 556–566
Abstract views: 51
PDF downloaded: 14

A new species of Alhajarmyia Stuckenberg (Diptera: Vermileonidae), the first wormlion fly described from East Africa and its biogeographical implications

Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa.
Department of Entomology, National Museum, P.O. Box 266, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa.
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi and Research Affiliate, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658, Nairobi 00100, Kenya.
Diptera Afrotropical allopatric speciation ancient relicts biogeography Eastern Arc Mountains Kenya identification key Oman Taita Hills Tabanomorpha

Abstract

A second species of the genus Alhajarmyia Stuckenberg (A. stuckenbergi Swart, Kirk-Spriggs & Copeland, sp. n.), is described and figured, from the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya (Kasigau Mountain and Taita Hills), being the first vermileonid recorded from East Africa. The species is shown to differ from its congener, A. umbraticola (Stuckenberg & Fisher), described from Oman in the Arabian Peninsula, based on external characters including male and female terminalia. An identification key is provided together with distribution maps for the two species, and biogeographical aspects are discussed.