170 THE EARLY STAGES OF TABANID^ 



least fifty-seven days if the conditions are unfavorable for their 

 development. 



King describes the larva somewhat as follows: 



"The larva [Plate 3, Fig. 49], when fully extended, measures about 29 mm. 

 Color white to grayish white, mandibles black. 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 abdominal segment, 

 where the dorsal pair is wanting. On the second abdominal segment the dorsal 

 pair is very strongly developed. The ventral pseudopods^^ are always larger 

 than the dorsal. Each pseudopod bears a crown of colorless spines or hooks, 

 and between the pseudopods there are also spines or hooks, often darker in color, 

 and forming a continuous ring. The anus is situated ventrally at the base of the 

 eighth abdominal segment and is edged with dark hairs. On either side of the 

 anus is a patch of dark hairs, roughly kidney-shaped, and beyond each patch, 

 laterally placed on the segment, are two small round spots of dark hair. The 

 syphon tube consists of two segments, and when exserted is shorter than the 

 eighth segment. The whole surface of the larva is more or less shiny, with vary- 

 ing longitudinal striation, the areas bearing very fine striae being markedly duller 

 than the rest. The prothorax has the dorsal area smooth in the anterior two-thirds 

 and rather coarsely striate posteriorly; the ventral area is almost entirely smooth 

 and divided in two by a medium furrow; the two lateral areas are finely striated in 

 the basal third and more coarsely so in the anterior parts. The mesothorax has 

 the dorsal and ventral areas smooth and shining in the anterior two-thirds, and 

 rather coarsely striate posteriorly, the ventral area having no furrow; the lateral 

 areas are a little more finely striate than those of the prothorax, and there is 

 a rather broad dull non-striated band at both the anterior and posterior margins. 

 Similar dull bands occur on the metathorax and the abdominal segments, but com- 

 pletely encircling the segments. The abdominal segments 1 to 7 have the dorsal 

 and ventral areas moderately shining, and the striation is rather coarse and irreg- 

 ular; the lateral areas appear much duller, owing to the extreme fineness of the 

 striation. On the eighth abdominal segment the striae are moderately well 

 marked and of similar appearance on all the faces." 



The pupa of Tabanus tceniola is not known. From the egg mass a 

 natural enemy parasite was obtained by King, adding hereby one 

 more example to the cases of egg parasitism observed in tabanids. 

 These small Hymenoptera were bred from an egg mass of Tabanus 

 tcBfiiola, taken at Gebelein. The species had not yet been identified 

 at the time when King's report appeared, but figures were given, to- 

 gether with the parasitized egg mass, showing the exit hole of the 



•^8 See p. 108, foot-note 18. 



