Oligopogon harlequini Oldroyd, 1970

Londt, Jason G. H., 2014, A revision of Afrotropical Oligopogon Loew, 1847 (Diptera: Asilidae) with the description of eighteen new species, African Invertebrates 55 (2), pp. 269-269 : 288-289

Oligopogon harlequini Oldroyd, 1970

Figs 2A, 13

Oligopogon harlequini Oldroyd, 1970: 295 (key) 296; 1980: 370 (catalogue).

Redescription (based on Nigerian material):

Head: Dark red-brown to black, dull gold pruinose, dark red-brown and yellow setose. Antenna: Extensively red-brown except for orange proximal ½ of postpedicel and proximal ⅓ of style. Segmental ratios: 1:1.2:2.8:2.2 (scape, pedicel, postpedicel, style). Scape and pedicel of similar development, yellow setose. Postpedicel laterally compressed in cross-section. Style of smaller diameter than distal end of postpedicel, equipped with long dark red-brown setae projecting from all surfaces. Face, frons and vertex dull gold pruinose, mystax yellow, ocellar macrosetae red-brown. Occiput uniformly dull gold pruinose (See Fig. 2A), red-brown setose dorsally, yellow ventrally. Face to head width ratio in anterior view 1:3.9 (face narrower than one eye). Proboscis dark red-brown, straight, pale yellow white setose. Palpi minute, 2-segmented, yellow-white setose. Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, extensively dull gold pruinose, yellow setose. Mesonotum: Extensively pruinose except for following apruinose areas: postpronotal lobes, pair of short medial stripes confined to central region, 2 small areas laterally anterior to transverse suture, 2 larger areas laterally postsuture. 2 yellow npl (other macrosetae poorly developed), general setae longish yellow. Scutellum dark red-brown, largely apruinose except for dull gold anterolateral areas, fine brown setose (apical macrosetae poorly differentiated). Pleura fairly uniformly dull gold pruinose. Katatergal setae yellow. Legs: Coxae red-brown, dull gold pruinose, pale yellow setose. Trochanters brown-orange, pale yellow-white setose. Femora orange with red-brown ring at ⅔ length, yellow setose. Tibiae orange, distal end slightly darker, mostly red-brown setose. Tarsi yellow-brown, dark red-brown setose. Wings: 3.1 × 1.4 mm (holotype). Veins pale brown-yellow. Membrane transparent, unstained, extreme tip of cell r 2+3 with few microtrichia (most evident on paratypes) ( Fig. 13).

Abdomen: T1 dark red-brown, T2–7 dark red-brown with large anterolateral areas brown-orange, largely apruinose except for silver anterolateral margins, white setose. Sterna dark red-brown, silver-gold pruinose except for large mediolateral apruinose areas, white setose. ♂ and ♀ terminalia orange brown.

Holotype and paratypes (3 specimens on one polyperous strip, one, marked with an ‘X’, being the holotype): NIGERIA: 3♂ (holotype and paratypes) ‘Udubo [11°57’N 10°27'E] / 29.8.57’ ~ ‘43’, ‘ Oligopogon / harlequin Oldroyd / det. H. Oldroyd 1966 / Holotype X / + 2♂ paratypes’, ‘Type’ [red edged circular], ‘Holo- / type’ [red edged circular], ‘Para- / type’ [yellow edged circular], ‘BMNH(E) / #1029960’, ‘BMNH(E) / #1029961’, ‘BMNH(E) / #1029962’ ( BMNH) .

Paratype: GHANA: 1♀ ‘Para- / type’ [yellow edged circular], ‘Gold Coast / N. Territories / Yagaba [10°14’N 01°17’W] / 11.vii.1914 / Capt. Armitage’, Pres. by / Imp. Bur. Ent. / Brit. Mus. / 1924-298.’, ‘ Oligopogon / harlequin Oldroyd / det. H. Oldroyd 1966 / ♀ paratype’, ‘BMNH(E) / #1029963’ ( BMNH) .

Note 1: Oldroyd (1970) recorded 1♂ (holotype) 2♀ (paratypes) from ‘N. Nigeria: Udubo, 28.viii.57 [? Collector] ( SAIMR)’ and ‘Gold Coast: N. Territories, Yagaba, 1♀, 11.viii.1914 (Capt.Armitage) ( BMNH)’. The Udubo material is actually housed in the BMNH not SAIMR ( South African Institute for Medical Research ) as stated. Close examination of the Ghanaian specimen strongly suggests that it is dispecific, strongly resembling snowi sp. n., but as it is in relatively poor condition it is retained here until more West African material becomes available .

Note 2: Londt’s (2012) recorded specimens from Kaneba ( The Gambia) are here described as a new species ( snowi ).

Distribution ( Table 1), phenology (Table 2) and biology: Known with certainty from the type locality in Nigeria. Collected in August. Almost certainly a woodland savanna species.