Oligopogon platypteron, Londt, 2014

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 : 303-304

Oligopogon platypteron sp. n.

Figs 2C, 4, 26–28, 34

Etymology: From Greek platys (broad, wide, flat) and pteron n. (wing). In reference to the broadly expanded wings possessed by this species.

Description:

Head: Dark red-brown to black, red-gold and silver pruinose, extensively black setose. Antenna: Dark red-brown except brown-yellow distal end of postpedicel. Segmental ratios: 1:1.0: 2.8:2.6 (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, frons and vertex red-gold pruinose (shows some variation, some specimens being silver-gold), mystax black, ocellar macrosetae black. Occiput silver pruinose except for two small circular apruinose spots midway between dorsal eye margin and cervical region (See Fig. 2C), black setose except for few white setae ventrally. Face to head width ratio in anterior view 1: 3.5 (face narrower than one eye). Proboscis dark red-brown, straight, pale yellowish setose. Palpi minute, 2-segmented.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, extensively red-gold and silver pruinose, black and pale yellow setose. Mesonotum: Uniformly pruinose with no apruinose areas. 2 npl (other macrosetae weakly developed), general setae longish dark red-brown. Scutellum dark red-brown, largely silver pruinose except for large central area, fine dark red-brown setose (apical macrosetae poorly differentiated). Pleura fairly uniformly silver pruinose. Katatergal setae black. Legs: Coxae dark red-brown, silver pruinose, whitish setose. Trochanters dark red-brown, pale yellow-white setose. Femora dark red-brown with yellow-brown proximal ends, mixed dark red-brown and pale yellowish setose. Tibiae red-brown, paler proximally and at mid-length, mostly dark red-brown setose. Tarsi yellow-brown, dark red-brown to black setose. Wings ( Fig. 4): 3.8 × 1.5 mm (holotype). Wing broad due to ‘dilated’ cells. Membrane entirely microtrichose, extensively dark brown stained (broadly adjacent to veins – centres of cells usually unstained) especially distal end of cell r 1 (shows some variation in the degree of staining).

Abdomen: Terga dark red-brown, largely apruinose except for silver pruinose anterolateral margins, macrosetae dark red-brown to black, smaller setae pale whitish. Sterna dark red-brown, entirely silver-gold pruinose, white setose. ♂ terminalia ( Figs 26–28) dark red-brown, ♀ terminalia dark red-brown.

Holotype: KENYA: 1♂ ‘ Kenya Rt. A 109 / 50 km SE Nairobi [ Nairobi - 01°16'S 36°46'E] / 30.iv.1991 / A. Freidberg / & Fini Kaplan’ ( NMSA).

Paratypes: GAMBIA: 3♂ 2♀ ‘ Keneba [13°20’N 16°01’W], Gambia / 3.x.75’ ( OXUM); 1♂ 2♀ ‘ Keneba, Gambia / 4.x.75’ ( OXUM); 1♀ ‘ Keneba, Gambia / 7.x.75 Grass + low / bush by rice flds’ ( OXUM); 1♂ ‘ Keneba, Gambia / 29.x.75 gnut fld [groundnut field]’ ( OXUM) . KENYA: 4♂ 3♀ same data as holotype ( NMSA, BMNH 1♂ 1♀); 2♂ ‘ Kenya 6 km S Kapedo / Hot Waterfall 760m / 01°08’N: 36°06'E / 2–3.vi.1980 B. Lamoral / Malaise trap’ ( NMSA); 3♀ ‘ KENYA, Eastern Prov. / base of Ukasi Hill / 613 m. 0.82103°S. / 38.54443°E [= ca. 0°49'S 38°32'E]’, ‘ Malaise trap. Acacia / / Commiphora savanna / 21 NOV-5 DEC 2011 / R. Copeland’ ( NMKE); 1♂ 3♀ ‘Kenya, Coast Prov. / Boni Forest area , 40m, / 1.86046°S, 40.71421°E [= ca. 1°51'S 40°43É] / nr. Bodhei village’, ‘ Sweep net nr dam. / grass-/woodland. 13–15 / Jun 2013. J. Bukhebi / & R. Copeland’ ( NMKE); 1♂ 3♀ ‘Kenya, Coast Prov. / Boni Forest area, 37m, / 1.79554°S, 40.80894°E [= c. 1°47'S 40°48É] / nr. Milimani village’, ‘ Sweep net nr dam. / grass-/woodland. 13–15 / Jun 2013. J. Bukhebi / & R. Copeland’ ( NMKE); 1♂ ‘ Kenya S.E. / Tsavo, Voi [03°23'S 38°34’S] env. / 15.iv.2004 / M. Snižek legt.’; 1? ‘ Kenya: Tsavo Nat. [ca. 02°57'S 37°54'E] / Park. Kitani Lodge / 2600’ 24-xii-69 / M.E .

Irwin & / E.S. Ross’ (CASC); 4♀ ‘ Kenya S.E. / Taveta [03°24'S 37°41'E] env. / 16.iv.2004 / M. Snižek legt.’. NIGERIA : 1♀ ‘ Nigeria : Bama [11°31’N 13°41'E], at / S.U.M. Mission, 370m / 26-ix-1966 / E.S. Ross & / K. Lorenzen’ ( CASC) . SENEGAL: 1♀ ‘ Senegal / Ft de Fathala [Fathala Forest, near Bagadadji 12°48’N 15°03’W] / 19.viii.76 / G. Couturier leg.’ ( MNHN) . TANZANIA: 1♂ 1♀ ‘ Tanzania : Mkomazi / Game Reserve. / Ubani Plot. / 3°53.39'S 37°53.91'E’, ‘ 23.iv.1996. S. van Noort / Sweep. Grassland and / shrubs in open Acacia / / Commiphora bushveld’ ( SAMC A012187 ) ; 1♂ 1♀ ‘ Tanzania : Mkomazi / Game Reserve . North of / Kavateta Dam, near / Junction 9. / 3°54.06'S 38°03.26'E’, ‘ 16.iv.1996. S. van Noort / Sweep. mk21. Grasses / in open Acacia / / Commiphora bushveld’ ( SAMC A012217 ) ; 1♂ 4♀ ‘ Tanzania : Mkomazi / Game Reserve. / Pangaro Plot. / 3°53.61'S 37°46.65'E’, ‘ 23.iv.1996. S. van Noort / Sweep. mk30. open / disturbed Acacia / / Grewia bushveld’ ( SAMC A012186 ) .

Note: The Gambian material is that listed by Londt (2010) merely as ‘ Oligopogon Species 1 ’.

Distribution ( Table 1), phenology (Table 2) and biology: The species is widely distributed in equatorial Africa from West Africa ( Senegal and The Gambia) to East Africa ( Kenya) with a single record from Nigeria ( Fig. 34). Collected at many times in the year, the species probably flies throughout the year. This appears to be an open woodland savannah species.