WERNER MARCHAND 25 



fringe of spines is widely separated. The pupas of many of the 

 larger species of Tahanus have in addition a lateral tuft of spines situ- 

 ated on a ridge. Patton and Cragg were the first to notice structural 

 differences in the male and female pupas. 



Brauer (1883) says that he classifies the tabanid larvae with the 

 Leptidae and Acanthomeridae (to which they are undoubtedly nearly 

 related, as also to the Asilidae) under Homoeodactyla tany stoma, of 

 which the larval characteristics are: 



Larva meta- or amphipneustic or with tracheal gills, usually with eyes at the 

 sides of the head capsule, the latter usually hidden in the following rings, generally 

 more or less retractile, and behind it eleven or twelve body segments. Mandi- 

 bles hook-hke; extending out of or under them in their concavity are the maxillae, 

 which are soft-skinned, and the laterally prominent maxillary palpi; antennae 

 short. Labrum hooked or horn-like, exserted. Pupa a free "mummy-pupa." 



Malloch (1917) proposes to unite the Tabanidae with the Leptidae 

 to a superfamily Tabanoidea, having the following characteristics: 



^^ Larva. — Head small, wholly or partly retracted, permanently retracted 

 portion with an arcuate dorsal plate over the longitudinal rods; mandibles strong, 

 hook-like, curved downward; maxillas well developed, wholly or largely mem- 

 branous, the palpi well developed; antennae distinct, pedunculate. Body cy- 

 lindrical, with or without pseudopods; lateral abdominal spiracles absent in 

 Tabanidas, small, but no lateral spiracles distinguishable in Leptidae; apical 

 spiracles in a vertical fissure in Tabanidae, exposed and separated in Leptidae." 



"Pupa. — ^Head with strong cutting armature; antennae with or without 

 distinct annuli. Thoracic respiratory organs sessile. Wings and legs closely 

 fused to each other and to thorax; fbre tarsi overlying midpair, the latter over- 

 lying hind pair, the pairs successively longer, hind pair not extending beyond 

 apices of wings. Abdomen with seven pairs of lateral spiracles; segments armed 

 with transverse series of slender bristles which become progressively stronger 

 from base to apex of abdomen." 



Brauer's characterization of the Tabanidae is the following: 



Family TabanidcB. — Larva usually metapneustic. Eyes distant from the mouth- 

 parts, situated laterally and back of the head capsule; the latter divided by a 

 fissure at the inserted end, at the hind end open and prolonged backwards into 

 long rods, hidden in the following segments. Mandibles hooked, often serrated 

 at the border; labrum forming a hook-like projected septum between them. 

 Body eleven-segmented, often girdled with retractile fleshy tubercles which are 

 often developed as prolegs at the ventral side only. Last segment with a ver- 



