118 THE EARLY STAGES OF TABANID^ 



Although this tabanid, according to King, in its adult form closely 

 resembles Tabaniis tccniola Pal. de Beauv., in its larval stage it 

 differs markedly from that species. The larva is admirably adapted 

 for clinging to stones in rapidly running water, its usually long pseudo- 

 pods with strong hooks, being retractile and capable of being used 

 as suckers. None of the other tabanid larvae observed by King 

 possessed an anal proleg. 



Besides the seven specimens mentioned above as having been taken 

 in the act of ovipositing, two more were caught sucking blood from 

 Camels. No males were seen. 



King describes the early stages in about the following words. 



Egg. — Length 2 mm. Color white, becoming darker as the embr}'0 within 

 develops. Spindle-shaped. 



Mature Larva. — (Plate 4, Fig. 56 and Fig. 65, a, b, c.) Length 35 mm. Color 

 pale gray to dusky gray to deep chestnut-brown. Mandibles dark brown to 

 black, long and powerful, slightly serrated. Anterior margins of meso- and meta- 

 thoracic segments dark. A smooth shiny pale area on the dorsum of each thoracic 

 segment; on the prothorax this area is concave anteriorly, convex posteriorly, 

 and with parallel sides. On the meso- and metathoracic segments it appears to 

 the naked eye diamond-shaped, though sometimes it is actually hexagonal. On 

 the venter of the prothorax are two shiny pale longitudinal areas, each bearing 

 several long black hairs arising from a single pore; a similar but larger area is 

 striated on each of the meso- and metathoracic segments, bearing two similar 

 tufts of hair. On either side of the meso- and metathoracic segments are three 

 longitudinal areas not extending to the margins of the segments, longitudinally 

 and deeply striated. On the anterior margins of the meso- and metathoracic 

 segments on either side are four paler lines extending backwards, to form the 

 divisions and edges of the three striated areas. On the anterior third of each 

 abdominal segment except the eighth is a ring of pseudopods, eight in each ring, 

 two dorsal, two lateral, four ventral, except on the first segment, where the 

 dorsal pair is wanting. The dorsal pseudopods are never well developed, and, 

 with the exception of those on the fifth, sixth, and seventh segments, unprovided 

 with hooks. The lateral and ventral pseudopods are very long and bear at the 

 apcies long, strong hooks, chestnut-brown in color, sometimes darker at the 

 tips. On the median pair of ventral pseudopods on the fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 segments, these hooks form a complete circle, but on the remaining pseudopods 

 bearing hooks the circle is incomplete. Immediately below these hooks is a 

 row of tiny spines. Immediately behind the ventral pseudopods on the first to 

 the seventh segments inclusive is a shiny striated area. On the venter of the 

 eighth segment, anteriorly placed to the anus, is a pseudopod equal in size and 

 similar to the ventral pseudopods on the other segments, and bearing an incom- 



