68 THE EARLY STAGES OF TABANID^ 



Zetterstedt believed that the larvae of Hcematopota live in the dung 

 (Scholtz). 



Scholtz reported, as early as 1850, having found the pupae of this 

 species; we shall give his statement with the other facts available on 

 the pupal stage. 



Larva and pupa of this species have subsequently been described 

 by three authors, independent of each other. All agree that they are 

 terrestrial in habit. 



Brauer (1883) once obtained the larva of Hcsmatopota from the larva 

 of Helops lanipes (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) , from which when it 

 seemed to be in process of molting, the tabanid larva came to light. 



Brauer (1869) is the first to give accurate descriptions of the 

 early stages (Plate 6, Fig. 83, a-d), with the exception, however, 

 of the egg state, which remains unknown in Hcsmatopota pluvialis, 

 while it has been observed in other species of Hcematopota. 



Brauer found, in an excursion made in June, 1869, to Lang En- 

 zersdorf, Austria, near the railroad embankment, in a region of scat- 

 tered Cottonwood {Popuhis alba), in entirely dry soil, a white grub, 

 about 20 mm. in length and 3 to 4 mm. in diameter, which was un- 

 fortunately only briefly examined with a lens. When in the evening 

 Brauer began to examine it more closely the grub had pupated, and 

 it was only from the remainder of the larval skin that the character 

 of the larva could be ascertained. However, the description obtained 

 from this meager material is very accurate. 



The larva (Plate 6, Figs. 83, a, b, 84, and 91) is cylindric, twelve-segmented 

 '(head included). The head (Plate 6, Figs. 84 and 91) is formed after the type of 

 ttabanid larvae, almost completely differentiated, the chitinous plates diverging 

 .behind and exceeded in length by two long rods in the middle, which are con- 

 tinuous with the middle chitinous plate of the head and with the labrum. The 

 latter is narrow, somewhat curved downwards, widened at the tip, and ciliated 

 laterally. Close to the sides are the hooked, downwardly curved parallel man- 

 dibles, their margin being convex and serrate. Below the mandibles and partly 

 within the concavity formed by them are the maxillae, which are soft in appear- 

 .ance. Their basal part is globular and slightly spiny, the distal part is formed 

 by a finger-like piece; at the side of the latter, externally, a two-jointed palpus of 

 twice its length, the two joints being of equal length. The terminal joint, more- 

 over, is widened and excavated to spoon shape. Above and at the sides of the 

 .mandibles are the antennae, of which the distal joints are cylindric and simple, 



