Atrichops is similar in appearance to Suragina Walker, 1859 with elongated legs and hind coxa with a stout apical spine-like projection on its anteroventral surface. It is also haematophagous, with well-developed mandibles. It differs from Suragina by having a knob-like proepimeral process (also referred to as a ventrally projecting flap in non-Afrotropical species) (reduced in Afrotropical Atrichops species), antennal bases very close together (widely spaced in Suragina), face narrower than the frons in female, and tibial spur ratio of 0:1:2 (0:2:2 in Suragina – some specimens of S. bivittata (Bezzi, 1926) with ratio 1:2:2). Atrichops also has a uniform coloured frons, without the characteristic contrasting black and silver-grey of Suragina. Atrichops can be identified and distinguished from other Afrotropical genera using the generic key in Woodley (2017: 887), which is currently the most up to date key for the family in the Afrotropics.

Stuckenberg (1960: 273) originally described Atrichops adamastor in Atherix Meigen, noting that its wings are “unlike those of any other South African species”. However, it also differs from all other described southern African athericid species by possessing the key diagnostic characters of Atrichops, namely a combination of a ventrally projecting knob-like proepimeral process (albeit much reduced), having the face narrower than the frons in female, and antennal bases closely set, nearly touching. It also has wing vein R₄₊₅ setulose dorsally, a characteristic only present in Atrichops, compared to other Afrotropical genera (see Stuckenberg 2000: 157). The male terminalia are also typical of Atrichops species, with the gonostylus inserted medially on the dorsal surface of the gonocoxite (e.g., Figs 31–33), compared to other genera where it is inserted apically. Atrichops adamastor has also been observed blood-feeding on frogs (see biology discussion below), a behaviour typical of the genus.

Type material examined (based on digital photos, additional data from Brinck and Rudebeck (1955: 77)): Holotype: South Africa • 1♀; Western Cape Province, Cape Peninsula, Hout Bay, Skoorsteenkop; [34°02.0684'S, 18°22.2420'E]; [300 ft]; 26 Dec. 1950; [Swedish South African Expedition leg.]; No. 95, type no. 00790:1, MZLU00205685 (see Fig. 1) (MZLU).

South Africa • 2♂10♀; Western Cape Province, Gamkaskloof (Die Hel) at:; 33°21.808'S, 21°37.650'E; 336 m asl; 16–18 Oct. 2012; Kirk-Spriggs, A.H. leg.; Malaise trap in Karoo and valley Acacia woodland; (2♂: BMSA(D)38904, 38908; 10♀: BMSA(D)38899, 38900, 38901, 38902, 38903, 38905, 38906, 38907, 38909, 40027).

Atrichops adamastor can easily be distinguished from A. stuckenbergi. In A. adamastor the ommatrichia densely covers the eye in both sexes, the frons is dark brown, the face is brownish, and the wing is uniformly brown suffused, whereas A. stuckenbergi has the eye sparsely covered in ommatrichia, the frons is shiny black, the face has silver-white pruinosity, and its wing brown suffused mainly on apical half, with discal cell and cell m₃ less so (e.g., Fig. 26 vs Fig. 30). It is most similar to A. intermedius sp. nov., a South African contemporary (see A. intermedius diagnosis).

The species was described by Stuckenberg (1960: 273), based only on a single female. The description is sufficient and no re-description is necessary. A description of its previously undescribed (but known) male follows. Mention is made of female characters should they differ from the male.

Measurements (♂ n = 2, ♀ n = 10): Wing span: ♂ 4.8–5.2 mm (avg. 5.0 mm); ♀ 5.0–6.0 mm (avg. 5.4 mm); body length: ♂ 4.6 mm (avg. 4.6 mm); ♀ 3.7–4.9 mm (avg. 4.5 mm); wing span to body length ratio (avg.): ♂ 1.1; ♀ 1.2.

Male. Head (Fig. 4): Colour brown, with some light yellowish pruinosity on face; eye densely covered in ommatrichia; narrowly dichoptic, ♀ widely dichoptic; ommatidia on lower ½ of eye smaller than upper ½ (♀ ommatidia uniform, comparatively larger than in ♂); lateral edge of eye with slight indentation, nearly absent in ♀; ocellar tubercle base level with frons, ♀ base with sunken appearance; ocellar tubercle with short dark setulae, vertex dark brown, almost appearing black, with somewhat longer setulae than ocellar tubercle; ocelli similar in size; ocellar tubercle in front of dorsal margin of eye, margin less indented than in ♀; vertex narrower than in ♀; dorsal inner edge of eye surrounding ocellar tubercle without discernible paired dark markings (present in ♀); occiput same dark brown as frons, when viewed at angle appearing shiny blackish; upper occiput with short dark setulae on dorsal margin and on rest of upper surface, lower occiput with erect, long and pale setulae, these continue ventrally on head to before mouthparts, bearing dark ventral setulae; frons dark brown, almost black, somewhat shiny, narrow area above antenna lighter brown; frons at narrowest as wide as anterior ocellus, widening towards antennal base, ♀ frons at least 2× width of ocellar tubercle, narrowing only slightly towards antennal base (Fig. 10); frons with well-developed dark setulae on surface, but only on lateral margins, very similar to ocellar and vertical setulae; ♀ frons more setulose than ♂; face lateral edges bare; gena bare; face light brown, clypeus darker brown, ♀ clypeus orange-brown; clypeus bare; face separated from clypeus by prominent transverse suture, in ♀ separated by transverse emargination, never forming suture; clypeus less prominent than in ♀; face much wider than in ♀, with prominent longitudinal emargination on side of clypeus, giving appearance that face bulges laterally; face and clypeus not visible in profile (visible in ♀); antennal bases close together, almost touching, gap somewhat larger than in ♀; scape brown, dorsally infuscate around setulae; pedicel comparatively darker than scape, dorsal surface infuscate; scape and pedicel setulae dark; 1^st flagellomere reniform, appearing almost 2× height of pedicel, concolourous with pedicel, basal margins lighter brown; 2^nd flagellomere arista-like, dark brown; scape and pedicel setulae similar in size; palpus dark brown, well-developed, ca 0.5× length of proboscis, with long, dark setulae; proboscis dark brown with orange-brown base.

Thorax (Figs 13, 19): Scutum with short dark setulae, posterior setulae longer than anterior setulae; scutellum with well-developed dark setulae; postpronotal lobe lighter brown than scutum, with fine dark setulae; scutum uniformly dark brown; scutellum uniformly dark brown; pleura generally brown in colour, with anepisternum, katepisternum, anatergite and katatergite somewhat darker; proepimeron with reduced flap-like process near anterior edge; notopleuron with well-developed dark setulae; area surrounding posterior spiracle dark brown, postspiracular scale dark brown almost black; proepisternum and pronotum yellow; anterior spiracle bare posteriorly; proepimeron, proepisternum bare, anepisternum with short dark setulae; katatergite with long pale setulae; rest of pleura bare; postmetacoxal bridge narrow.

Legs (Fig. 1): Coxae yellow, anterior surface of mid- and hind coxae brown; fore coxa with short dark setulae on surface, more pronounced apically; mid coxa with long dark setulae on surface, hind coxa with dark setulae on anterior and lateral apical edges, and with well-developed anterior apical point; trochanters with some scattered short dark setulae, trochanters yellow, apical margins with darker markings, more pronounced than in ♀; fore and mid femora, and basal ¼ of hind femur yellow, apical ¾ of hind femur dark brown (♀ with all femora yellow); fore, mid and hind femora with small anterior apical dark mark; fore, mid and hind tibiae dark brown (♀ with fore and mid tibiae yellow); all tarsi dark brown (♀ with yellow fore and mid tarsi); fore tarsal claws symmetrical, empodium at least 2× size of pulvilli on fore legs; fore femur covered with dark setulae on all surfaces, posteroventral setulae forming row, mid femur with row of longer anteroventral setae and hind femur with similar dark setulae on ventral and dorsal surfaces; hind leg stouter than fore and mid legs; fore tibia and tarsi densely covered with long setulae along dorsal and ventral surfaces, at least as long or longer than width of segments (♀ without long hairs); hind tarsomeres 1.01–1.02 (♂) and 0.87–1.02 (♀) times as long as hind tibia.

Wing (Fig. 25): Suffused brown on entire surface, with much darker pterostigma over area of veins R₁ and R₂₊₃ and cell r₁; vein R₄₊₅ with setulae dorsally, extending to vein R₅; veins dark brown; cell br and discal cell uniform in colour; costa with distinct downward flexure over pterostigma; cell cua closed at short distance from wing margin, cell m₃ open, veins M₁, M₂, M₃ present; halter with yellow stalk and dark knob in both sexes and ♀ holotype (Fig. 7). This differs from original description of A. adamastor ♀ holotype with Stuckenberg (1960: 274) noting “Halteres with pale yellowish knob.”

Abdomen : Dark brown, with anterodorsal margins of tergites 1–3 as well as entirety of sternites 1–5 yellow; tergites and sternites with short dark setulae, longer dark setulae on lateral margins of tergites, as well as long pale setulae on sternites 1–3; tergite 1 without median suture.

Terminalia (Figs 31, 34): Epandrium and cercus dark brown; hypoproct dark brown; epandrium, hypandrium and cercus with dark setulae; gonostylus finger-like with rounded apex; gonocoxite narrowing from middle towards base, apically rounded with long setulae; parameral apodeme long, extending to base of gonocoxite in ventral view; gonocoxal apodeme markedly shorter than gonocoxite.

Female. Terminalia: Stuckenberg (1960) did not describe proepimeral process, which is reduced flap-like process (Fig. 22), much as in ♂. Cercus dark brown with dark setulae; genital fork (Fig. 37) with slender distal apodeme, median lobe with deep apical emargination, paired apical lobes with somewhat square appearance, arms each gradually rounded; 3 sclerotised, somewhat oblong, spermathecae.

South Africa (Western Cape Province).

The species was observed and photographed feeding on the Cape River Frog, Amieta fuscigula Duméril & Bibron in the Garden Route Botanical Garden, George, South Africa, by Colin Ralston (iNaturalist observation 9344668). While this behaviour has been informally observed before, it is the first published photographic observation of the species exhibiting typical Atrichops behaviour. It also emphasizes the importance of citizen science in highlighting species interactions that might otherwise go unrecorded or unnoticed. Although an attempt was made to sample material from the Botanical Garden for study, it was unsuccessful, possibly due to heavy rains earlier in the season.

Type material: Holotype: South Africa • 1♂; Mpumalanga, Gladdespruit River nr Nelspruit [Mbombela] airfield, Transvaal; [25°30.6703'S, 30°54.4575'E]; 2530Db; 2975 ft [907 m asl]; 23 Feb. 1971; Stuckenberg [Stuckenberg, B.R] leg.; streamside bush; (NMSA-DIP 81808) (NMSA).

Paratypes : South Africa • 2♂2♀; Mpumalanga, Gladdespruit River nr Nelspruit [Mbombela] airfield, Transvaal; [25°30.6703'S, 30°54.4575'E]; 2530Db; 2975 ft [907 m asl]; 23 Feb.1971; Stuckenberg [Stuckenberg, B.R] leg.; streamside bush; (2♂ NMSA-DIP 81811, NMSA-DIP 28122; 1♀ NMSA-DIP 81809) (NMSA). 1♀; Mpumalanga, Graskop, [24°55.5480'S, 30°49.7993'E]; 6 Mar. 2000; Picker, M. leg.; (NMSA-DIP 212861) (NMSA).

This species is most similar to A. adamastor. However, it differs from A. adamastor in several ways: ♂ more narrowly dichoptic, ♀ with a darkened transverse line between the face and clypeus, ♂ legs nearly unicolorous yellowish compared to both males of A. adamastor and A. stuckenbergi, which have yellow hind femora and all tibiae and tarsi darker; Additionally, A. intermedius has wings with darker brown suffusions over base and apex of the discal cell that are similar to A. stuckenbergi, in contrast to A. adamastor which has a more uniformly suffused wing. Its gonocoxite is also more rounded and less tapering toward base compared to both A. adamastor and A. stuckenbergi.

Measurements (♂ n = 2, ♀ n = 2): Wing span: ♂ 5.4–5.8 mm (avg. 5.6 mm); ♀ 5.9–6.5 mm (avg. 6.2 mm); body length: ♂ 5.5 mm–6.1 mm (avg. 5.8 mm); ♀ 4.8–5.4 mm (avg. 5.1 mm); wing span to body length ratio (avg.): ♂ 0.96; ♀ 1.2.

Male. Head (Fig. 5): Colour dark brown, with some yellowish pruinosity on face; eye densely covered in ommatrichia; narrowly dichoptic; ommatidia on lower ½ of eye smaller than upper ½; lateral edge of eye with indentation (absent in ♀); ocellar tubercle base level with frons, ocellar tubercle with short dark setulae; vertex dark brown, almost appearing black, with markedly longer setulae than ocellar tubercle, similar to that of frons; ocelli similar in size; ocellar tubercle in front of dorsal margin of eye, margin less indented than in ♀; vertex narrower than in ♀; dorsal inner edge of eye, surrounding ocellar tubercle without discernible paired dark markings; occiput same dark brown as frons, when viewed at angle appearing shiny blackish; upper occiput with short dark setulae on dorsal margin and on rest of upper surface, lower occiput with erect, long and pale setulae, these continue ventrally on head to before mouthparts bearing dark ventral setulae; frons dark brown, almost black, narrow area above antenna lighter brown; frons at narrowest slightly narrower than anterior ocellus, widening towards antennal base; frons with well-developed dark setulae on surface except for narrow area above antennae, these similar to ocellar and vertical setulae; frons less setulose than ♀; face lateral edges bare; gena bare; face light brown, clypeus darker brown; clypeus bare; face separated from clypeus by prominent, deep, dark transverse suture; clypeus less prominent than in ♀; face much wider than in ♀, with prominent longitudinal emarginations on sides of clypeus, giving appearance that face bulges laterally; face and clypeus not visible in profile; antennal bases close together, almost touching; scape light-brown, dorsally infuscate around setulae; pedicel comparatively darker than scape, dorsal surface infuscate; scape and pedicel setulae dark; 1^st flagellomere reniform; appearing almost 2× the height of pedicel, same colour as pedicel, basal margins lighter brown; 2^nd flagellomere arista-like, dark brown; scape and pedicel setulae similar in size, palpus brown, well-developed, ca 0.5× length of proboscis; proboscis comparatively smaller than ♀ proboscis in relation to head; proboscis dark brown with long dark setulae.

Thorax (Figs 14, 20): Scutum with short dark setulae, postsutural setulae longer than presutural setulae; scutellum with well-developed dark setulae; postpronotal lobe lighter brown than scutum, with fine dark setulae; scutum and scutellum uniformly dark brown when viewed dorsally, scutellum similar in colour as anepimeron, anatergite and katatergite when viewed laterally; pleura generally brown in colour, anepimeron, katatergite and anatergite lighter brown than rest of pleura (more pronounced in ♀); proepimeron with reduced knoblike process near anterior edge; notopleuron with well-developed dark setulae; area surrounding posterior spiracle dark brown, postspiracular scale dark brown almost black; proepisternum brown and pronotum yellow; anterior spiracle bare posteriorly; proepimeron and proepisternum bare, anepisternum with short dark setulae; katatergite with long pale setulae; rest of pleura bare; postmetacoxal bridge narrow.

Legs (Fig. 2): Coxae brown; fore coxa with short black setulae on surface, more pronounced apically, mid coxa with long black setulae on surface, hind coxa with black setulae on anterior and lateral apical edges, with well-developed anterior apical point; trochanters brownish yellow with some scattered short dark setulae; hind trochanter somewhat lighter than rest; apical margins of trochanters with darker markings; fore and mid femora, and basal ¼ of hind femur yellow, apical ¾ of hind femur dark brown; fore, mid and hind femora with small anterior apical dark mark; fore, mid and hind tibiae yellow; tarsi dark brown; fore tarsal claws symmetrical, empodium at least 2× size of pulvilli on fore legs; fore femur covered with dark setulae on all surfaces, posteroventral setulae forming row, mid femur with row of longer anteroventral setae and hind femur with similar dark setulae on ventral and dorsal surfaces; hind leg stouter than fore and mid legs; fore tarsi densely covered with long setulae along dorsal and ventral surfaces, at least as long as width of segment, similar setulae on fore tibia, although much sparser; hind tarsal segments 0.9–1.1 (♂) as long as hind tibia.

Wing (Fig. 27): Suffused brown on entire surface, with much darker pterostigma over area of veins R₁ and R₂₊₃ and cell r₁; veins light brown; cell br and discal cell darker suffused apically; costa with distinct downward flexure over pterostigma; cell cua closed short distance from wing margin, cell m₃ open, veins M₁, M₂, M₃ present; halter with stalk yellow on basal half, gradually darkening apically with dark brown knob.

Abdomen : Brown, with anterodorsal margins of tergites 2–4 brownish yellow; tergites and sternites similar in colour with short black setulae, except sternite 1 lighter in colour; tergites with longer black setulae laterally; long pale setulae on sternites 1–3; tergite 1 without median suture.

Terminalia : Epandrium and cerci dark brown, hypoproct dark brown; epandrium, hypandrium and cercus with dark setulae; gonostylus finger-like, narrowing slightly towards apex, gonocoxite widening from middle towards base, apically rounded with long setulae; parameral apodeme short, not reaching base of gonocoxite in ventral view; gonocoxal apodeme markedly shorter than gonocoxite.

Female. Similar characters as ♂ except for the following:

Head (Fig. 11): Widely dichoptic, ommatidia of similar size, comparatively larger than in ♂; lateral edge of eye without indentation (present in ♂); ocellar tubercle base with sunken appearance; ocellar tubercle with slightly longer setulae than in ♂; dorsal margin of eye more indented than in ♂; vertex wider than in ♂; dorsal inner edge of eye, surrounding ocellar tubercle with paired dark markings; frons at least 2× width of ocellar tubercle, narrowing only slightly towards antennal base; frons more setulose than ♂; face separated from clypeus by transverse emargination with darkened transverse line; clypeus more prominent than in ♂; face and clypeus visible in profile; 1^st flagellomere smaller in comparison to pedicel compared to ♂; 2^nd flagellomere ca 0.75× length of proboscis; proboscis comparatively larger than ♂ proboscis in relation to head.

Legs (Fig. 8): Trochanters yellow; apical margins of trochanters with darker markings, less pronounced than in ♂; all femora almost entirely yellow, except for small anterior apical dark marking on each femur; tarsi yellow; fore tarsi without prominent long setulae on dorsal and ventral surfaces; hind tarsal segments 0.8–1.0 (♀) times as long as hind tibia.

Wing (Fig. 28): Some specimens with cell br and majority of discal cell surface hyaline.

Abdomen : Darker overall colour, similar anterodorsal margin and setation colour, setulae shorter overall.

Terminalia : Cercus dark brown with dark setulae; genital fork (Fig. 38) with distal apodeme slender, median lobe with shallow apical emargination, paired apical lobes with angular appearance, arms each having angular projection; 3 sclerotised, elongated spermathecae.

From the Latin “intermedius”, meaning in the middle, referring to the species known occurrence being roughly between the distributions (Fig. 40) of A. adamastor and A. stuckenbergi, but also in reference to A. intermedius exhibiting a mixture of characteristics found in both the other two Afrotropical species.

South Africa (Mpumalanga).

Type material (based on digital photos): Holotype: Kenya • 1♀; Naro Moru, Country Life Lodge; [0°09.3224'S, 37°0.7380'E]; 6300 ft; 25 Dec. 1969; Irwin, M.E. & Ross, E.S. leg.; (CAS). Paratype: 1♀; Naro Moru, Country Life Lodge; [0°09.3224'S, 37°0.7380'E]; 6300 ft; 25 Dec. 1969; Irwin M.E. & Ross, E.S. leg.; (CAS). Material at time of publication is in the Nagatomi collection of OMNH and will be returned to CAS shortly by the curator in charge at OMNH (pers. comm. B. Sinclair)

Malawi • 5♂; Southern Region; Mulanje Mountain [Mulanje Massif] at:; 15°56.1667'S, 35°31.1982'E; 1061 m asl; 12–14 Oct. 2016, Kirk-Spriggs, A.H. & Muller, B.S. leg.; Malaise trap, stream bed; Miombo woodland; (5♂ BMSA(D) 97872, 97873, 97874, 97875, 97876). 18♂11♀; Zomba Plateau, Kuchawe Trout Farm; 15°21.2315'S, 35°18.0954'E; 1530 m asl; 8–11 Oct. 2016; Kirk-Spriggs, A.H. & Muller, B.S. leg.; Malaise trap, stream, montane evergreen forest; (11♀ BMSA(D)94146, 94147, 94151, 94153, 94154, 94155, 94158, 94162, 94163, 94165, 94171, 94172, 95851; 18♂ BMSA(D)94142, 94143, 94144, 94145, 94148, 94149, 94150, 94152, 94156, 94157, 94159, 94160, 94161, 94164, 94166, 94167, 94168, 94169, 94170). 5♀8♂; Zomba Plateau, William’s Falls; 15°20.8392'S, 35°17.9158'E; 1583 m asl; 15–19 Oct. 2016, Kirk-Spriggs, A.H. & Muller, B.S. leg.; Malaise trap, stream, montane evergreen forest; (8♀ BMSA(D) 95850, 95852, 95853, 95855, 95856, 95857, 95858, 95861). 5♂ BMSA(D)95848, 95849, 95854, 95859, 95860). 1♂; Nyasaland, Cholo [Thyolo], [16°4.2204'S, 35°8.178'E], 14 Sept.1917, Wood, R.C. leg.; (1♂ NMSA-Dip. 158775). Kenya • 1♀; Central Province; Mary Mariuki farm, near Nyamindi River; 00°29.5500'S, 37°23.2932'E; 1457 m asl; 2–16 Jun. 2018, Copeland, R. leg.; Malaise trap; (1♀ ICIPE 3773).

(Scharff et al. 2023): Tanzania • 1♂; Uzungwe [Udzungwa] Mts., Mwanihana Forest above Sanje; [07°46.0000'S, 36°49.0000'E]; 1000 m asl; 1 Aug.1981; Stolze, M. & Scharff, N. leg.; Zool. Museum, Copenhagen; (1♂ ZMUC 100826, GBIF ID: 857827875). 1♀; East Usambara Mts., Amani; [05°05.9833'S, 38°37.9834'E]; 1000 m asl; 10 Jul. 1980, Stoltze, M. & Scharff, N. leg.; Zool. Museum, Copenhagen (1♀ ZMUC 100827, GBIF ID: 857829273).

The Tanzanian specimens are only identified as Atrichops sp. on GBIF, but agree with the descriptions and appearance of male and female A. stuckenbergi.

Atrichops stuckenbergi can be distinguished from the only other two Afrotropical species, A. adamastor and A. intermedius, by having its eye sparsely covered in ommatrichia, whereas the others have ommatrichia densely covering the eye. It has the frons shiny black, compared to the frons being dark brown in A. adamastor. The wings in Atrichops stuckenbergi are brown suffused mainly on the apical half, with the discal cell and cell m₃ less so, much like in A. intermedius, compared to A. adamastor that has uniformly brown suffused wings. Atrichops stuckenbergi differs also from both the other species in the shape of its ♂ and ♀ terminalia (Figs 33, 36, 39).

The species was described by Nagatomi (1984b), based on two female specimens. The description is sufficient and no re-description is necessary. The specimens from Malawi were compared to the holotype female (digital photographs) and a non-type female from Kenya and all fit Nagatomi’s description of A. stuckenbergi. Mention is made of female characters below should they differ from the male. A description of the previously unknown male, based on material from Kenya and Malawi, follows.

Measurements (♂ n = 5, ♀ n = 5): Wing span: ♂ 5.0–5.7 mm (avg. 5.5 mm); ♀ 5.3–6.5 mm (avg. 5.9 mm); body length: ♂ 5.6–6.2 mm (avg. 5.9 mm); ♀ 3.9–5.2 mm (avg. 4.6 mm); wing span to body length ratio (avg.): ♂ 0.9; ♀ 1.3.

Male. Head (Fig. 6): Colour dark brown, with silver-white pruinosity on face and clypeus (♀ with similar colour, only with somewhat less pruinosity); eye sparsely covered in ommatrichia, difficult to discern; holoptic, ♀ widely dichoptic (Fig. 6); ommatidia on lower ½ to ⅓ of eye smaller than upper area (♀ ommatidia uniform, comparatively larger than in ♂); lateral edge of eye with prominent indentation, almost absent in ♀; ocellar tubercle with base level with frons; ocellar tubercle with long dark setulae (compared to vertex and occipitals), vertex glossy dark brown, almost black, with shorter setulae than ocellar tubercle; ocelli similar in size; ocellar tubercle in front of dorsal margin of eye, eye margin less indented than in ♀; vertex narrower than in ♀; dorsal inner edge of eye touching ocellar tubercle, without discernible paired dark markings (present in ♀); occiput dark brown with some whitish pruinosity; upper occiput with short dark setulae on dorsal margin and on rest of upper surface, lower occiput with erect, long and pale setulae, continuing ventrally on head to before mouthparts bearing dark ventral setulae; frons shiny black, without any setulae, area just above antennae with silver-white pruinosity; frons widening towards antennal base, ♀ frons at least 2× width of ocellar tubercle, narrowing only slightly towards antennal base; frons bare compared to well-developed setulae on ♀ similar to ocellar tubercle and vertex; face lateral edges bare; gena bare; face separated from clypeus by prominent transverse suture, in ♀ separated by transverse emargination, but never forming suture; clypeus less prominent than in ♀; face much wider than in ♀, with prominent longitudinal emarginations on sides of clypeus, almost giving appearance that face bulges laterally; face and clypeus not visible in lateral view, visible in ♀; antennal bases close together, not touching as in ♀, separated by short, dark longitudinal vitta; scape and pedicel orange-yellow, brown dorsally around setulae; scape and pedicel setulae dark; 1^st flagellomere reniform, appearing almost 2× height of pedicel, same colour as pedicel, basal margins lighter brown; 2^nd flagellomere arista-like, dark brown; scape and pedicel setulae similar in size, palpus dark brown, basally orange-yellow, well-developed, ca 0.5× length of proboscis, with long dark setulae; proboscis dark brown with orange-brown base.

Thorax (Figs 15, 21): Scutum with short dark setulae, postsutural setulae longer than presutural setulae; scutellum with well-developed dark setulae; scutum and scutellum uniformly dark brown (♀ holotype with scutellum yellow, darker in ♀ specimens from Malawi); pleura generally yellowish brown in colour, with anepisternum, katepisternum, anatergite and katatergite somewhat darker; proepimeron grey-white pruinose, with somewhat reduced knob-like process near anterior edge, not as apparent as in non-Afrotropical species; notopleuron with well-developed dark setulae; area surrounding posterior spiracle yellow, postspiracular scale dark brown, yellow in ♀; pronotum, postpronotal lobe and postalar callus yellow, all with fine dark setulae; anterior spiracle bare posteriorly; proepimeron, proepisternum bare, anepisternum and katatergite with pale setulae; rest of pleura bare; postmetacoxal bridge narrow.

Legs (Fig. 3): Coxae yellow; fore coxa with short dark setulae on surface, more pronounced apically; mid coxa with long dark setulae on surface, hind coxa with dark setulae on anterior and lateral apical edges, with well-developed anterior apical point; trochanters with some scattered short dark setulae, trochanters yellow, apical margins with darker markings, similar to that of ♀; fore, mid and base and apex of hind femora yellow, hind femur with dark brown middle; fore, mid, and hind femora with small anterior apical dark marking; fore and mid tibiae yellow, hind tibia dark brown; all tarsi dark brown (♀ with yellow mid and hind tarsi); fore tarsal claws symmetrical, empodium at least 2× size of pulvilli on fore legs; fore femur covered with dark setulae on all surfaces, posteroventral setulae forming row, mid femur with row of longer anteroventral setae and hind femur with similar dark setulae on ventral and dorsal surfaces; hind leg stouter than fore and mid legs; fore tibia and tarsi densely covered with long hairs along dorsal and ventral surfaces, at least as long or longer than width of segments (♀ with long hairs only on ventral margins of tarsi); hind tarsal segments 0.94–1.01 (♂) and 0.92–1.00 (♀) times as long as hind tibia.

Wing (Fig. 29): Suffused brown on most of apical half, with much darker pterostigma over area of veins R₁ and R₂₊₃ and cell r₁, dark band across area near base of discal cell; majority of discal cell and cell bm hyaline; cell cua closed short distance from margin, cell m₃ open, veins M₁, M₂, M₃ present; vein R₄₊₅ with setulae dorsally, extending to vein R₅; veins dark brown, costa with much weaker downward flexure over pterostigma than in ♀; halter with yellow stalk and dark knob.

Abdomen (Fig. 15): Dark brown, tergites 1–3 with anterodorsal margins yellow (t2 almost appearing triangular) (♀ holotype tergites 1–5 with anterodorsal margins yellow, giving triangular shaped appearance), entirety of sternites 1–5 yellow; tergites with short dark setulae, lateral margins with longer black setulae, more so than ♀; pale setulae on sternites 1–5; tergite 1 without median suture.

Terminalia (Figs 33, 36): Epandrium and cercus dark brown, hypoproct dark brown; epandrium, hypandrium and cercus with dark setulae; gonostylus finger-like, narrowing with prominent sinuous curve towards apex, gonocoxite narrowing from middle towards base, apically rounded with long setulae; parameral apodeme elongate, appearing enlarged, reaching base of gonocoxite in ventral view, aedeagal tine enlarged compared to A. adamastor and A. intermedius; gonocoxal apodeme similar in length to gonocoxite.

Female. Terminalia cercus dark brown with dark setulae; genital fork (Fig. 39) with distal apodeme enlarged, median lobe with deep apical emargination, paired apical lobes with rounded appearance, arms each rounding gradually; 3 sclerotised, elongated spermathecae.

Kenya, Malawi (new record), Tanzania (new record).