Siphanta tropica Fletcher
Caution
Many of the insects depicted on these pages are outwardly similar and you should not use photographs as the sole means of identification. These pages form part of a scientific key which will assist a trained entomologist to identify the species accurately.
(Flatidae: Flatinae: Siphantini)
This is one of five species that are somewhat variable in size, shape of tegmen and, to some extent, colour but can only be differentiated by examination of the male genitalia. See also S. acuta, S. hebes, S. angularis and S. eberhardi.
S. tropica differs from the other species with which it keys out by having the red coloration on the head and legs reduced, the lateral margins of the frons evenly convex, without a prominence level with the antennae and with the sutural angle of the tegmen right-angled or almost so. However, these features are not sufficiently distinctive to provide diagnosis on their own. The habitus, head and genitalia were figured by Fletcher (1985: Figs 31-32, 100, 185-188).
