title: Phlebotomine sandflies of Kenya (Diptera: Psychodidae). I. The validity of Phlebotomus (Larroussius) elgonensis Ngoka, Madel and Mutinga.
abstract: Sandflies collected in Kitum cave on the Kenyan side of Mount Elgon were identified as Phlebotomus (Larroussius) elgonensis Ngoka, Madel and Mutinga, a species synonymized with P. (L.) aculeatus Lewis, Minter and Ashford, by D. J. Lewis. A comparison of the flies from Kitum cave with P. aculeatus from Lake Elmentaita, Kenya, shows marked differences in the lengths of: (a) the spermathecal ducts of the female; (b) the style, coxite, genital pump and aedeagus of the male; and (c) the palpal segments of both sexes. Other notable differences are in the shape of the base of the spermathecal ducts; the position of spines on, and the shape of, the tip of the aedeagus; and the appearance of the pharyngeal armatures of both sexes. Phlebotomus elgonensis is redescribed and it is concluded that it is sufficiently different from P. aculeatus to deserve recognition as a valid species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Imperial College at Silwood Park, Ascot, U.K.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Killick-Kendrick
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Killick-Kendrick
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Sang
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ngumbi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification