Key to males of South African species of the genus Paragus

1 Eyes with 2 or 3 vertical vittae of pile..................................................................... 2

- Eyes with uniformly distributed pile (subgenus Pandasyopthalmus)............................................. 3

2 Posterior margin of scutellum without teeth; abdomen broad, terga laterally fused (subgenus Afroparagus); terminalia as in Figs 9 E–G: lingula absent (Fig. 9F).............................................. Paragus borbonicus Macquart, 1842

- Posterior margin of scutellum with distinct teeth (subgenus Serratoparagus); terminalia (Figs 9 A–D): epandrium (Figs 9 A–B) with bulge next to the cercus in lateral view (Fig. 9B marked with arrow); hypandrium with developed lingula (Fig. 9C)........................................................................ Paragus capricorni Stuckenberg, 1954b

3 Abdomen petiolate (Fig. 8A)............................................................................ 4

- Abdomen parallel sided, never distinctly petiolate (Fig. 8B).................................................... 7

4 Terminalia: paramere boomerang-shaped (Figs 10E: p, 10G: p)................................................. 5

- Terminalia: paramere broad in the base, tapering towards the apex (Figs 10A: p, 10C: p)............................. 6

5 Terminalia: surstylus rhomboid-shape apically (Fig. 10G: s), paramere with slender apex (Fig. 10G: p); ejaculatory apodeme as in Fig. 10H ................................................................ Paragus longiventris Loew, 1858

- Terminalia: surstylus trapezoid-shape apically (Fig. 10E: s), paramere with rounded apex (Fig. 10E: p); ejaculatory apodeme as in Fig. 10F .................................................................... Paragus minutus Hull, 1938

6 Basoflagellomere shorter (two times longer than scape and pedicel together) (Fig. 11A); terminalia: paramere broader, with pointed apex (Fig. 10A: p)...................................................... Paragus marshalli Bezzi, 1915

- Basoflagellomere more elongated (three times longer than scape and pedicel together) (Fig. 11B); terminalia (Figs 10 C–D): paramere narrower, with rounded apex (Fig. 10C: p).............................. Paragus dolichocerus Bezzi, 1915

7 Cercus enlarged (5.9 times longer than the narrowest part of epandrium in dorsal view) (Figs 6 A–B)................................................................................................ Paragus megacercus sp. nov.

- Cercus not enlarged................................................................................... 8

8 Posterior margin of sternum 4 medially protruded with two tufts of black pile medially (Figs 2 C–D: t), boundary between sterna 2 and 3 with medial longitudinal protuberance (Figs 2 C–D: pr); terminalia as in Fig. 3 ......... Paragus longipilus sp. nov.

- Posterior margin of sternum 4 simple, boundary between sterna 2 and 3 without medial longitudinal protuberance........ 9

9 Terminalia (Figs 10 I–J): surstylus narrow in the base, expanding medially, tapering towards the apex (Fig. 10I: s); abdomen completely black, terga with white erect pile on anterior half and with black adpressed pile on posterior half.......................................................................................... Paragus punctatus Hull, 1949

- Terminalia (Figs 10 K–L): surstylus same width along its length (Fig. 10K: s); abdomen black with orange markings on terga, terga only with white pile.................................................. Paragus haemorrhous Meigen, 1822