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bjbj Mormotomyia hirsuta, the Terrible, Hairy Fly was described by Major E. E. Austen from
two specimens collected by H. B. Sharpe in 1933. Since then, it has been collected only
once, by V. G. L. and Cunningham van Someren in 1948. The latter collectors are responsible
for the substantial number of specimens available in the NMK and international museums. Besides
its rather bizarre appearance (it has non-functional, strap-like wings, eyes greatly reduced in
size, long, spider-like legs and a dense covering of yellowish hairs, more pronounced in the
males), the fly is of great importance because nobody really knows what other fly family,
if any, it is related to. The old material collected in 1948 has DNA but it is not of
high-enough quality to use in the molecular methods required to answer this question;
thus, the interest in re-collecting this species. The type locality is in the eastern, dry and
hot part of Kenya, and both previous collections were made during or just after heavy rains
which washed the fly out of its cave home, where it develops on bat guano. Some years
ago, after making inquiries about the location of the site we were fortunate to contact Quentin
Luke, the noted botanist, who not only had heard of the site but also provided us with
GPS co-ordinates for it. At the end of November 2010 Ash Kirk-Spriggs from the National Museum,
Bloemfontein, S.A. and I led a small expedition to Ukazi Hill in eastern Kenya. I had last
looked for the fly there in July 2008 with some folks from the USDA. We had no luck at
that time, but this time found the flies in one of the places we had searched during the
previous trip. Briefly, we climbed up to what I am calling Van Someren's peak. There is
a very large kopje (stone) perhaps 20-25 m tall sitting near the summit of Ukazi Hill.
This stone is cleft straight through from top to bottom, north to south, with a narrower
fissure on the north side. At this time of the year the sun is far to the south, so that
the site where we found the flies at the base of the northern fissure is always in the shade,
probably the second-most important factor in making the microhabitat so favorable (the
first being the presence of substantial amounts of bat guano). Probably, inside the cleft,
which is cave-like and where the bats roost, guano accumulates year-round on the floor
of the cave, perhaps also on rock shelves which have fallen from above, wedging themselves
inside the cave. Heavy rains (of which there was one about two weeks before we showed up)
wash the topmost layers of guano right out the fissure and into the open at the base
of the large rock. For the first 2-3 m outside the cave the ground is nearly flat so much
of the guano is not washed down the hill but remains at the base of the rock. There, on
the day we arrived we found the first specimens in the late afternoon. Actually it was blazing
hot and we had all stopped in a lovely shaded area on the eastern side of the hill to enjoy
the cool air. I had gone ahead from there and was lucky enough to be the first to stumble
across Mormotomyia. At first I didn't want to be disappointed and refused to conclude
immediately that they were the real thing. When they move they look like they could be
young sun spiders (solfugids). However, a quick count of legs dispelled any doubts and
I was overtaken by what can only be described as my first euphoric entomological experience.
I think I began to howl MOR-MO-TO-MYIA, MOR-MO-TO-MYIA and then heard in return, almost as a garbled
echo, "F***, F******* (unclear phrase, perhaps including my last name)" repeated 2 or 3 times.
This, of course was Kirk-Spriggs damning my good fortune. Soon, all of us (Ash, Bruno
Leru, his technician Leonard, his student Christoph Planton (the latter three all from
ICIPE), my girlfriend Juliet, and 4 water carriers) were rooting around in the guano.
Many adults of both sexes were running over the guano and some on the rock face. Larvae
and puparia were found in abundance in the guano. We had actually hired the 4 porters
to carry up water-filled 20L Jerry cans anticipating the need to wash out the flies if our visit
wasn't favored with an afternoon torrent. In the event, it wasn't, but we didn't need
the water after all. The guano itself somewhat dry but not desiccated and in places perhaps
8-10 cm thick, conditions obviously favorable to larval development. We had to scamper down
because the sun was setting, planning to climb again the following day. Juliet arranged for
the purchase of two chckens which were butchered and cooked up by her. A local person prepared
ugali (maize meal) for us and we had a nice celebratory meal. The next day we arrived
at the site at around 10 a.m. The day was overcast until about 11 a.m. On arrival we
found hundreds of adults in the same place. Many of the adults were climbing the rock
face, apparently heading off to the mother load of guano in the cave. Later that day,
Ash went round to the other side of the rock where the cleft has a wider opening and found
a few adults there. Being on the sun-side of the rock at this time of the year and not
having a substantial flat area where washed out guano could accumulate, this spot appeared
much less favorable for the flies. Perhaps better in the long rains (May) when the sun
would be on the northern side and this second spot would be in the shade. In short, there
was plenty of material to save specimens in 95% ethanol for the molecular taxonomists
to sort out where this species (and family) fits in the Diptera Tree of Life, and for
Ash to do scanning electron microscopy on the puparia and larval material. Plans now
are to develop a grant to examine the many other similar looking rocky outcrops of small
hills in Kitui and Mwingi districts to determine just how specific the type locality is for
the distribution of Mormotomyia hirsuta, whether there are other sites, perhaps with their
own Mormotomyia species, to characterize the larval microhabitat, and to determine the
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