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Visiting a sand forest in a small game park in the Hluhluwe area, North Eastern KZN, South Africa. I was very surprised to see this Tsetse fly in the kitchen of the bungalow we are staying in. Collected yesterday. Not sure which species. Would appreciate assistance keying this out to species level. Thanks, Philip

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Photo 2:

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Photo 3 added (one more to come):

See link to key: We are in Region 1

Looks like fusca group to me
However, some features of G longipennis and some of G brevipalpis ...

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Hi Philip. When I collected Glossina in Tanzania (https://diptera.info/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=5&thread_id=71204) I tried to identify it to species but found it a difficult task, more material need for comparison.
It seems to me that Tanzanian specimens have proboscis distinctly longer than S-African one?

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Thank you Nikita.
I see the link to the key above did not work somehow. I will try again below. The key attached takes a regional approach so only considers some of the flies - those known for that region. According to the key some species are not possible to differentiate without much more material, as you suggest. My hope was that this one was actually one that could key out. However I am having difficulty. Anyway I attach a last picture that I have. Cheers, Philip

Key: http://www.fao.org/3/p5178e/P5178E10.htm This fly collected from region 1...

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South Africa is in region 4 of the key and couplet 1 leads to Glossina brevipalpis (squamal fringe curly, large setae below wing base, wing with dark spot around r-m).

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Thank you very much John. You are correct that South Africa is Zone 4. Zone 1 is an eastern coastal zone that also stretches down into SA. However I think it keys out similarly whichever’s route is taken. What confused me is that G brevipalpis is generally described as being a darker fly without prominent dark spots in the back. However, all else fits it best and some features of G longipennis, the only possible alternative, as this is clearly Fusca group with shorter proboscis (shorter than width of head) just does not fit. I would think general colour is more variable.

See also: Non regional (more complete) key: http://www.fao.org/3/i0535e/i0535e03.pdf

Thanks again.

Best wishes, Philip

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HI John

I have had a good discussion with a knowledgeable friend who lives in the area and he has it on good authority that only 2 species of Tsetse fly is known for the specific area where I collected the specimen namely G brevipalpis (fusca group) and G austeni (morsitans group). In fact it is clear that these are the only 2 species of Tsetse fly recorded in Zululand, northern KZN, today.

See here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6238674/pdf/OJVR-83-1172.pdf

This would pretty much confirm the specimen as G brevipalpis as you suggested as G austeni falls out immediately on the squamal fringe criteria and absence of large setae below the wing insertion point.

Cheers

Philip