Saropogon Loew, 1847

Sakhvon, Vital V., 2020, Review of the genus Saropogon Loew, 1847 (Diptera: Asilidae) from Russia Transcaucasia and Central Asia, with description of three new species, Zootaxa 4860 (4), pp. 577-591 : 578

Genus Saropogon Loew, 1847

Saropogon Loew, 1847: 439 ; Back 1909: 344; Engel 1930: 443; Hull 1962: 276; Richter 1968: 134; 1969: 519; Lehr 1961: 129; Lehr 1988: 261.

Type species: Dasypogon luctuosus Wiedemann, 1820 , by subsequent designation ( Coquillett, 1910: 603).

The species of the genus Saropogon Loew, 1847 are medium sized flies with the marginal cell and all of the posterior cells widely open; the anal cell is widely open or narrowly closed. The head and abdomen droop and the head, in anterior view, is noticeably broader than high. The face is usually plane and without setae, except on the lower third or less and the setae are often confined to the epistomal margin. The protibial process is short and its spine is often twisted. The antennae are approximately as long as the head in lateral view. Acrostichal macrosetae on the mesonotum are differentiated. Femora with macrosetae greatly reduced or nearly absent. The abdomen is cylindroid, at most slightly tapered. The general coloration is often pale, sometimes black. The species of this genus tend to be variable and the sexes are often sexually dimorphic in color ( Back 1909; Hull 1962).