HiEMATOPOTA, EARLY STAGES IN GENERAL. 



We owe to Neave notes on the early stages of this genus. He 

 collected at Mt. Mlanje in southern Nyasaland, Africa. The larvas 

 were by no means easy to obtain as compared with those of Chrysops, 

 a few individuals of three species only being found in September and 

 October. Later in the season, in January, considerable numbers of 

 the larvae of an unidentified species were obtained, perhaps those of 

 Hcematopota insatiahilis or an allied species. The larvae all seem to 

 resemble each other closely and it is very difficult to distinguish 

 specific differences in them, though they differ in a marked manner 

 from those of any other genus of tabanids seen by Neave. The dif- 

 ferences between these larvae and those of Chrysops are discussed 

 under that genus (Plate 5, Figs. 73 and 74). The limitation of the 

 pigmented areas to the anal segment and the abruptly truncated 

 syphon seem to be characteristic of and peculiar to this genus, as also 

 are the very short, sometimes almost invisible pseudopodia. 



The genus Hcematopota is represented by a large number of species 

 in the Old World, especially in tropical Africa; the species are less 

 numerous in the New World and the genus is entirely absent in 

 Australia. 



Hcematopota crudelis Austen. — An African species, originally de- 

 scribed from German East Africa, and by Neave found by no means 

 uncommon near Mt. Mlanje, in southern Nyasaland, in the months of 

 October and November. 



The first larvae of Hcematopota found in Africa, by Neave, belonged 

 to this species. Several of the larvae were found in September and 

 October, and, though many were lost, two males and three females 

 eventually emerged in October and November. 



The larva, which is figured (Plate 6, Fig. 85) differs from that of 

 Hcematopota insatiahilis only in that the pigmented areas are more 

 pronounced round the anus and at the base of the syphon. 



The pupal aster (Plate 13, Fig. 170) has hooks of nearly equal length 



and forms a very regular star. There is no true dorsolateral comb, 



though one female has a minute knob-like process in place of it. 



The pupal aster is figured. 



66 



