Oligopogon ater Bigot, 1879

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 : 283-284

Oligopogon ater Bigot, 1879

Fig. 2E

Oligopogon atrum Bigot, 1879: 439 .

Oligopogon ater: Hull 1962: 212 ; Oldroyd 1980: 370 (catalogue).

Redescription:

Head: Dark red-brown to black, red-gold and dull silver pruinose, extensively black setose. Antenna: Dark red-brown. Segmental ratios: 1:1.0:3.0:2.8 (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 black setae projecting from all surfaces. Face and vertex dull silver pruinose, frons red-gold pruinose, mystax black, ocellar macrosetae black. Occiput dull silver pruinose except for two large subtriangular apruinose areas between dorsal eye margin and cervical region (see Fig. 2E), pale yellow setose dorsally, white ventrally. Face to head width ratio in anterior view 1:3.3 (face narrower than one eye). Proboscis dark red-brown, straight, pale yellow-white setose. Palpi minute, 2-segmented, pale yellow-white setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, extensively silver pruinose, black, pale yellow and white setose. Mesonotum: Extensively pruinose with following apruinose areas: postpronotal lobes, large lateral area anterior to transverse suture, large posterolateral area postsuture extending to postalar lobe, broad medial band (sometimes showing signs of two coalesced stripes) almost reaching anterior margin and falling far short of posterior margin. 2 black npl, 1 black spal (other macrosetae poorly developed), general setae dark red-brown. Scutellum dark red-brown, largely apruinose except for narrow anterior margin (more extensive in Luzi River material), fine dark red-brown setose (apical macrosetae poorly differentiated). Pleura uniformly silver pruinose. Katatergal setae pale yellow. Legs: Coxae dark red-brown, silver pruinose, whitish setose. Trochanters dark red-brown, pale yellow-white setose. Femora dark red-brown, mixed dark red-brown and white setose. Tibiae and tarsi dark red-brown, mostly dark red-brown setose. Wings: 3.4 × 1.3 mm (holotype).Veins yellow. Membrane transparent, unstained, entirely lacking microtrichia.

Abdomen: Terga dark red-brown to black, largely apruinose except for silver pruinose anterolateral margins, white setose. Sterna dark red-brown, entirely silver-gold pruinose, white setose. ♂ and ♀ terminalia dark red-brown.

Syntypes: SOUTH AFRICA: 1? ‘Syn- / type’ [circular blue edged], ‘ 358 in / Coll. / Bigot.’, ‘Coll. Bigot / abt. 1845-93 / Pres. 1914 by / J.E. Collin.’, ‘Type Dip: 300 ½ / Oligopogon / ater Bigot / Hope Dept. Oxford’ (OXUM); 1♂ ‘Syn- / type’ [circular blue edged], ‘ 358 in / Coll. / Bigot.’, ‘ Oligo - / pogon / niger / J. Bigot / 358 in / Coll. / Bigot’, ‘Coll. Bigot / abt. 1845-93 / Pres. 1914 by / J.E. Collin.’, ‘Type Dip: 300 2/2 / Oligopogon / ater Bigot / Hope Dept. Oxford’ (OXUM).

Notes: Bigot (1879), who did not designate a holotype, only indicated having studied male material so it is likely that the now defective syntype is a male. While no provenance appears on the labels, Bigot records ‘Natal. – Ma collection’. It is not known why the name ‘ niger ’ appears on one of the labels. This may have been a manuscript name. The syntypes are generally in poor condition.

Other material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: 4♂ 7♀ Transkei [now part of the Eastern Cape Province], Pitseng Pass, Banks of Luzi River , 3028CB, 11.i.1979, Londt & Stuckenberg, Rocky hill & Grassland ( NMSA, BMNH 1♂ 1♀) .

Distribution ( Table 1), phenology (Table 2) and biology: The type locality is not known, except that it is somewhere in KwaZulu-Natal. The only known locality is on the banks of the Luzi River, Pitseng Pass, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa (ca. 30°45'S 28°19'E, 1600 m). Collected in January. Found in long grass on the banks of a stream at the base of a rocky hillside.