Afroholopogon argos Londt 2005, sp. n.
Creators: name: Londt, Jason G. H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2005
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Asilidae
Afroholopogon
Afroholopogon argos

description: Afroholopogon argos sp. n.   Figs 13–15, 79  
 Etymology: Gr. argos (white, bright). Refers to the long white setae that cover much of the head, thorax and abdomen of this species.   
Description: Based on holotype.  
 Head: Antenna: black, fine silver pruinose, red-brown (dorsally) and white (ventrally) setose; segmental formula 1.0:1.1:3.1:0.4:1.9. Face black, entirely silver pruinose, mystax white (loosely arranged but covering entire face). Face width:head width ratio 1.0:4.3. Frons and vertex dark red-brown, shiny apruinose, fine red-brown setose. Occiput dark red-brown to black, silver pruinose except for bare area posterior to ocellar tubercle, white setose (few short pale yellow setae dorsally). Proboscis and palpi dark red-brown, white setose.   
 Thorax: Mesonotum black, shiny apruinose except for narrow silver pruinose lateral and posterior margins. Setation: ac – long fine white; dc – long fine white; npl – 2 slender white; sa – long fine white (no obvious macrosetae); pa – long fine white (no obvious macrosetae). Scutellum black, largely shiny apruinose except for narrow silver anterior margin, disc asetose, margin with 16 fine white setae. Pleura black, silver pruinose except for bare areas on anepisternum and katepisternum, white setose. Wing 4.4 x 1.7 mm, membrane weakly milky to transparent, microtrichia weakly developed to absent, basal angle of r 4 22°. Halter pale brown with pale yellow knob. Legs: cx black, silver pruinose, white setose; trochanters black; fem black with distal part orange, white setose; tib orange dorsoproximally dark red-brown distoventrally, white setose; tar dark red-brown, entirely white setose.   
 Abdomen: Terga black, shiny apruinose except for narrow silver lateral margins, white setose (short medially long laterally. Sterna black, entirely silver pruinose, long white setose. Genitalia: Holotype not dissected and macerated, paratype illustrated (Figs 13– 15): Hypopygium unrotated; epand (in dorsal view) deeply incised medially to form two acutely pointed lobes joined narrowly basally; goncx externally distally unilobed, lobes of distinctive shape; hypd (in lateral view) short, not projecting distally beyond level attained by either epand or goncx, suddenly tapering (in ventral view) to a single medial process.   
Variation: The material, all from a single collection, displays no variation of note.  
 Type specimens: SOUTH AFRICA: ơ holotype, 2ơ 3^ paratypes, ‘ South Africa: Natal / Die Kop 1131 m ca 11km / NE of Kranskop / 28°54'57''S: 30°57'12''E / Grass & Forest Margin / Londt Whittington & / Chinn 17.iv.1990 ’; 1ơ 1^ paratypes, ‘ South Africa: Natal / Die Kop Dist. 500 m ca / 9 km NE of Kranskop / 28°55'51''S: 30°56'51''E / Grass & Forest Margin / Londt Whittington & / Chinn 17.iv.1990 ’.   
Distribution (Table 1), phenology (Table 2) and biology: Known only from a single locality in KwaZulu-Natal (Fig. 79). The species has been collected only during April. The type series was swept from tall grass bordering a forest margin. A single prey record is available—a female was found feeding on a tiny dipteran (Empididae).  
 Similar species: Superficially similar to fugax but most similar to anassa and aspros (see discussion).
description: Published as part of Londt, Jason G. H., 2005, A review of afrotropical Afroholopogon Londt, 1994 with the description of a new genus and new species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), pp. 203-252 in African Invertebrates 46 (1937) on pages 210-211, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7666864