Oligopogon argolagon Londt 2014, sp. n.
Creators: name: Londt, Jason G. H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Asilidae
Oligopogon
Oligopogon argolagon

description: Oligopogon argolagon sp. n.   Figs 2A, 14–16, 31  
 Etymology: From Greek argos (white, bright) and lagon f. (flank). In reference to the white katatergal setae possessed by this species.   
Description:  
 Head: Dark red-brown to black, red-gold and silver pruinose, extensively black setose. Antenna: Dark red-brown. Segmental ratios: 1:1.0: 3.4:2.4 (scape, pedicel, postpedicel, style). Scape and pedicel of similar development, black setose. Postpedicel circular in cross-section, tapering distally. Style of similar diameter to distal end of postpedicel, equipped with long dark red-brown setae projecting from all surfaces. Face silver pruinose, frons and vertex red-gold pruinose, mystax black, ocellar macrosetae black. Occiput uniform dull red-gold pruinose (See Fig. 2A), black setose dorsally, white ventrally. Face to head width ratio in anterior view 1:3.2 (face narrower than one eye). Proboscis dark red-brown, straight, white setose. Palpi minute, 2-segmented, white setose.   
 Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, extensively red-gold and silver pruinose, black and pale yellow-white setose. Mesonotum: Extensively pruinose except for following apruinose areas: much of postpronotal lobe, small sub-circular dorsolateral spot postsuture, elongate area involving postalar lobe. 2 black npl, 1 black spal, 1 black pal (other macrosetae poorly developed), general setae longish dark red-brown. Scutellum dark red-brown, silver pruinose except for tiny lateral areas, fine dark red-brown setose (2 long apical macrosetae moderately differentiated). Pleura fairly uniformly silver pruinose. Katatergal setae yellow-white. Legs: Coxae red-brown, silver pruinose, white setose. Trochanters brown-orange, mainly pale yellow-white setose. Femora brown-orange, mixed dark red-brown and pale yellowish setose. Tibiae and tarsi brown-orange, mostly dark red-brown setose. Wings: 4.3 × 1.3 mm (holotype). Veins orange-brown. Membrane transparent, unstained, entirely lacking microtrichia.   
TABLE 2  
 Phenology of Afrotropical Oligopogon species (months starting from June).   
 Abdomen: Terga dark red-brown, largely apruinose except for silver pruinose anterolateral margins, dark red-brown and white setose. Sterna dark red-brown, extensively silver-gold pruinose, white setose. ♂ terminalia (Figs 14–16) and ♀ terminalia red-brown.   
Holotype: SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂ ‘ South Africa: Cape Prov / Port Elizabeth Cape / Recife area 3425BA / 22–27.xii.1995 / J.G.H. Londt. Reserve’ (NMSA).  
Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂ ‘ South Africa, Natal / Zululand, Ndumu [= Ndumo] Game / Reserve, 26- x-1972 / ME Irwin, 2632 Cc’; 7♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Kosi Bay Nat. Reserve / 2632DD 30.xi.–2.xii.82 / Londt, Barraclough & / Stuckenberg Forest / & open woodland areas’; 2♀ ‘ South Africa, Natal Prov / Zululand; 20 mi. S. Ndumu / Game Res. Camp (2732 Aa) / Nov. 29, 1971; ME& BJ Irwin / dry scrub forest; 320 ft’; 7♂ 2♀ ‘ So. Africa: Cape Prov. / 8 km S. Alexandria / 3.xi.1978 3326CD / R. Miller & J. Londt / road & forest margin’; 14♂ 9♀ same data as holotype (ZMHB 1♂ 1♀); 4♂ ‘ Ndumu Reserve [26°55'S 32°15'E] / Ingwavuma District / Tongaland, S. Africa / B. & P. Stuckenberg / 1–10 December 1963 ’; 1♂ ‘ S Africa: KwaZulu-Natal / St Lucia 9–13.iii.2004 17m / 28°22’10.8”S 32°25’09.5”E / J.G.H. Londt Coastal Bush’; 1♂ ‘ Aliwal North [30°42'S 26°42'E] / Cape Province / Dec. 1922 ’, ‘ S. Africa / R.E. Turner / Brit. Mus. / 1923-45’ (BMNH #1029998); 1♂ ‘ South Africa / C.P. Kenton-on-sea [33°42'S 26°41'E] / 2.i.1972 / D.J. Greathead’ (BMNH #1030002); 2♂ ‘ Delagoa Bay. [error – should read Algoa Bay = Port Elizabeth – 33°58'S 25°35'E] / 8.11.1935 ’, ‘ S Africa: / R.E. Turner / B.M. 1935-73’ (BMNH #10300023).  
 Note: The following specimen from East Africa keys to argolagon but is poorly preserved and almost certainly dispecific. Further material is required before a meaningful allocation can be made. 1♀ ‘ Kenya SE / Lamu prov., Witu / Kipini [02°23'S 40°26'E] 10.iv.2004 / M. Snižek lgt.’.   
Distribution (Table 1), phenology (Table 2) and biology: The type locality is the Cape Recife Nature Reserve (34°01'S 25°42'E, 10 m) near Port Elizabeth. The species is fairly widely distributed in the eastern parts of southern Africa (Fig. 31), with many localities being coastal. Collected from October through to March. Found in open woodland, dry scrub forest and coastal scrub vegetation.
description: Published as part of Londt, Jason G. H., 2014, A revision of Afrotropical Oligopogon Loew, 1847 (Diptera: Asilidae) with the description of eighteen new species, pp. 269 in African Invertebrates 55 (2) on pages 280-283