378 



TABANID.E 



Fig. 2Sl.—Therioplectes 



solstitialis, 



(J eye-facets, x 22. 



siderably larger than the lower ones, and with dense rather long pale 

 brownish pubescence. 



Extremely closely allied to T. distingimidus, but slightly 

 smaller. 



S . Compared with 7'. di»tinriuendus the postocular fringe near the vertex is 



sHghtly longer but sparse, and there is a row of short black 

 bristles against its front margin. Palpi with the basal joint 

 bearing only a few long black hairs (among the pale ones) 

 on the underside near the tip. Eyes clothed with dis- 

 tinctly longer and paler brownish yellow pubescence which 

 is also more extended to the hinder part of the eyes, 

 where however it becomes shorter; facets (fig. 231) con- 

 siderably larger than in T. distinguendus on the prominent 

 front part, being about three times as large as the small 

 facets, and the large facets extending up to the touching 

 part of the eyes but not sharply contrasted with the small 

 facets anywhere. Antennae as dark as the darkest forms 

 of T. distingue'tidus. 



Thorax and scutellum blacker, and with more depressed 



thin pale grey pubescence on the thorax esjiecially on the 



back part, above the wing-base, and on the postalar calli ; 



prsealar calli less extensively reddish ; i^leurse with very few and indistinct 



black hairs. 



Abdomen narrower, more shining, more tubular, and more acuminate than 

 in T. distinguendus, with the orange markings forming a more defined 

 yellower spot on each side, and when viewed from behind with a much more 

 whitish gleam almost as in T. tropicus; the dorsal black stripe occupying 

 nearly the middle quarter of the second segment, but only about half as wide 

 on the third segment though widening a little towards the hindmargin ; 

 fourth segment all black except for two sharply defined reddish orange spots 

 against the foremargin placed about half-way between the middle and the 

 sides and extending rather more than half-Avay down the segment ; side- 

 marginal pubescence all distinctly longer. Belly with no tufts of pubescence, 

 but with the pubescence mainly black on the fourth and fifth segments. 



Legs with the front tibiaj less blackened, the middle tibite yellower, 

 and the hind tarsi more reddish orange about the base ; front coxie with 

 more pale pubescence especially on the back part ; femora with rather paler 

 posterior pubescence ; middle tibiae with possibly rather longer ciliation, and 

 the hind tibiae with a slightly longer and more conspicuous black antero-dorsal 

 fringe. 



Very much like the female of 7\ distinguendus but rather smaller, and the 

 fourth abdominal segment without any reddish coloring. Frontal stripe 

 Avith the general tomentum greyer, and with distinctly longer more black 

 pubescence, the shorter thinner pale pubescence being less conspicuous ; 

 frontal stripe narrower at its lower end, and the niiddle callus more linear ; 

 face, chin, and jowls with the pubescence more greyish white, and the bare 

 rim against the eyes greyish white and less conspicuous. Palpi with the end- 

 joint pale yellow and dilated on the basal third, but after that drooping a 

 little and gradually diminishing to a rather blunt tip, the small black bristles 

 confined to about the apical half and not at all dense, or even limited to a 

 few on the underside near the tip ; basal joint covered Avith light grey dust 

 and bearing long pale pubescence. Eyes rounder than in T. distinguendus and 

 bearing longer paler more abundant pubescence. Antennee almost as in T. 

 distinguendus but sometimes many of the long hairs beneath the basal joint 

 are black, as are sometimes most of the short bristly hairs on the upper side, 

 though sometimes these black bristly hairs are confined to just the tip; 

 second joint with the circlet of apical black bristles longer and more hair-like 

 beneath. 



