HRl'Oli'l' OI^' 'I'llK F.NT0M(>(;()(1ICAL SMC'I'ION III 



buried themselves in the sand prior to pupating. A careful search, however, revealed the T.ianioia 

 fact that they had disappeared, and it was not until later that mice were discovered to 'f"'* , , 



•' '^ '^ destroyed by 



bo the cause of the loss. Tin- two remaining larvaa were then killed and preserved, mice 

 It is possible, therefore, that the larva described below is not quite mature. 



7'. Ui'uiolih larvic are more active and ferocious than those of T. jiar., vigorously 

 attacking any other lai'va with which they may come in contact. They have not, however, 

 the power possessed bj' 7'. far of lying dormant in the soil for at least fifty-s(!V(!ii days if the 

 conditions are unfavourable for their development. 



Dencripfionx — 



The <■;/;/ (Plate III., fig. 7), is spindle-shaped, about I'lT) nun. in length and, when 

 first laid, white in colour. It becomes darker as the embryo within develops. 



The larva (Plate III., fig. 3), when fully extended, measures about 29 mm. Colour white 

 to greyish-white. Mandibles black. On the anterior third of each abdominal segment, except 

 the eighth, is a ring of pseudopods, eight in eacli ring -two dorsal, two latei'al, four venti'al 

 — except on the first abdominal segment, where the dorsal pair are wanting. On the second 

 abdominal segment the dorsal pair are very poorly developed. The ventral pseudopods are 

 always larger than the dorsal. Each pseudopod bears a crown of colourless spines or hooks, 

 and between the prolegs there are also spines or hooks, often darker in colour, and forming 

 a continuous ring. The anus is situated ventrally at the base of the eighth abdominal 

 segment and is edged with dark hairs. On either side of the anus is a patch of dark hair, 

 roughly kidney-shaped, and beyond each patch, laterally placed on the segment, are two 

 small round spots of dark hair. The siphon tube consists of two segments and when 

 exserted is shorter than the eighth segment. The whole surface of the larva is more or less 

 shiny, with varying longitudinal striation, the areas bearing very fine stria; being markedly 

 duller than the rest. The prothorax has the dorsal area smooth in the anterior two-thirds 

 and rather coarsely striate posteriorly ; the ventral area is almost entirely smooth and 

 divided in two by a median furrow ; the two lateral areas are finely striated in the basal 

 third and more coarsely so in the anterior parts. The mesothorax has the dorsal and 

 ventral areas smooth and shining in the anterior two-thirds, and rather coarsely striate 

 posteriorly, the ventral area having no furrow ; the lateral areas are a little more finely 

 striate than those of the prothorax, and there is a rather broad dull non-sti'iatod band at 

 both the anterior and posterior margins. Similar dull bands occur on the metathorax and 

 the abdominal segments, but comi:)letely encircling the segment. The abdominal segments 

 1 to 7 have the dorsal and ventral areas moderately shiny, and the striation is rather 

 coarser and irregular ; the lateral areas appear much duller, owing to the extreme fineness 

 of the striation. On the eighth abdominal segment the stria' ai'e moderately well-marked 

 and of similar appearance on all the faces. 



A natural ciienii/. From an egg-mass of 7'. hi'iiiala, taken at Gebelein, numljors of a A para.sitic 



small Hymenopteron were bred.' This has not yet been identified, but is figurcnl in the |."„"'of 



accompanying plate, together with the parasitised egg-mass show-ing the exit hole of the '/'. in-nhla 



parasites. 



Taliannx difienialiis, Macq. 



Plate IV., figs. 1 and 2; Plate V., figs. 1 10 



The distribution of this tabanid as given by Austen" is a very wide one. In Africa it 



occurs from the Transvaal in the south to Egypt in the north, while outside the bounds of 



' This insect belongs to the family (!linh:iiliihr, and luis «in(;c been (U'sf'rilied nndci' the n.'une of 

 Tchnomns bmcfnetor, Crawford — Guy A. K. Marshall. 



"■ Austen, K. E. (lOnll), Afrinm l!l<i„,l-^i,rh!,i,i Fli.s, pp. ll.S, 119. 



