Sepedon (Parasepedon) straeleni Verbeke, 1963

Knutson, Lloyd V., Deeming, John C. & Ebejer, Martin J., 2018, The Snail-killing Flies (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) of West Africa, Zootaxa 4483 (1), pp. 67-100 : 85

Sepedon (Parasepedon) straeleni Verbeke, 1963

(Fig. 14)

References to figures: Verbeke 1950 (as S. testacea Loew : aedeagus, surstylus).

Holotype ♂, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, P.N.U., Gorges de la Pelenge, 1150m, 19.vi.1947, Mission G.F. de Witte ( MRAC). Not seen in IRSNB or MRAC by Knutson in 1978.

Verbeke (1950: 57, 1961: 18) misidentified this species as S. testacea Loew , and (1963: 57) corrected the misidentification and named the species by back reference to Verbeke (1950). He stated (1950) that the “forceps” and aedeagus approach the type of S. trichrooscelis Speiser and that other characters are as in his S. convergens group (his S. convergens Loew of 1950 and 1961 = S. testacea Loew , the true S. convergens being in the subgenus Mesosepedon Verbeke, 1950 .

WEST AFRICA: NIGERIA : Benin, O.P.R.S. (= Oil Palm Research Station , about 5mi. from Benin City), 1♂, 24.vii.1947, no collector’s name ( USNM) . CAMEROUN: Lolodorf, 1♂, 13.vii.1920 ; 1♀, 4.v.1917 (CMP); 1♂, 7.vii.1920, A .I. Good (USNM); Forêt d’Ototoma, 1♂, 4.viii.1967, L. Matile (MNHNP); N’Kolbisson, 1♀, 25.x.1970, L. Matile (MNHNP); B. de Miré, Village Meyo, test cacao, 2♀, 9.xii.1968, no collector’s name (MNHNP); Bolo, 19.iii.1968 (1 ex. CU; 2 ex. USNM); 20.ii.1968 (1 ex. CU); 1♂1♀, in copula (USNM); 30.i.1968 (1 ex. CU; 2 ex. USNM); 2.v.1968 (1 ex. CU; 2 ex. USNM); 25.iv.1968 (1 ex. CU); 6.ii.1968 (1 ex. CU); Bolo Riv . 1♂, 24.i.1968, 1♂, 1.ii.1968, 1♀ 20.iv.1968, 1 ex. (abdomen missing) 25.iv.1968, 1♂, 2.v.1968, 1.ii.1968 (1 ex. CU) Disney; Kumba 1 ex . 10.i.1969; 1♂, 10.ii. 198, Disney ( USNM) ; Bolo Village , 23km. N. Kumba 2♂ 2♀, 1 ex, 20.ii.1968, 1♂, ( NMWC) , 1♂2♀, (USNM); 1♀, 19.iii.1968, Disney ( USNM) . FERNANDO PÓ: Musola, 500– 800m., 1♀, i.1902, L. Fed (Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genoa) ; IVORY COAST : Akoupe, 25km. N. Abidjan, 1♀, viii.1961; Mouyassue, 30km. E. Aboisso, 1♀, viii.1961, both J. Decelle ( MRACT). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Pisté Ruwenzori, VS273 Massif Ruwenzori , 1900m . 1♂, 7.i.1958, P. Vanschuytbroeck (IRSNB); Riv. Mbulikerere, affl. Dr. Talia N, Secteur Tshiaberimu, 2720m. 2♂, 26–28.viii.1953, V. Hendricks ( IRSNB); Massif Ruwenzori, Kyandolire, Camp des Gardes , 1700m. 1♀, 22.x.1952, P . Vanschuytbroeck & J. Kekenbosch ( IRSNB); same location, collectors, and collection, 2♂, 7–15.vii.1952; Contrefouts, N. Mikeno, Secteur Sud., Rumangabo , station PNA, 1600m . 2♂, 3.iv–16.viii.1957, C. Donis (IRSNB); Mont Hoyo, 1280m., sur plantes basses, 9♂2♀, 7–15.vii.1955, P. Vanschuytbroeck (IRSNB); Rutshuru 2♂, 4.xii.1937, J. Ghesquière (IRSNB).

UGANDA: Ruwenzori Mts. , 5 km. W. Kilembe, 2500m . 2♂, 6.i.1996, I. Yarom & A. Freidberg ( TAU); Mwenda, Mt. Ruwenzori , 1455m , 1♂ 12–13.xii.1948, J.C. Bradley (CU); S.W. Fort Portal , 18km. N.W. 2000m . 1♂, 8.i.1996, I. Yarom & A. Freidberg ( TAU) ; Kibale Forest N.P. 1400m . 1♂, 10.i.1966, I. Yarom & A. Freidberg ( TAU).

Published records. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, RWANDA ( Verbeke 1950, 1961, 1963); DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO ( Knutson 1968).

Biology. Unknown.