10 THE nil'TERA-BRACHYCERA OF TASMANIA, 



Wings clear; anterior veins dark brown; cubital fork 

 with a recurrent vcinlet. 



This is the commonest Tasmanian species of Tabamu, 

 but it is liable to be confused with both T. edentulus and 

 T. i/ii/H rfi rtus. From the latter it may be distinguished 

 by its much larger size, by the long black hairs of the 

 vertex, and by the pubescence of the tibiae being of 

 unequal length, some long and some short, instead of 

 uniformly long. From T. edentulus it can only be dis- 

 tinguished with some difficulty; it is a broader apeciei 

 with a blackish instead of brownish abdomen, and with- 

 out any sign of the yellow stigma which is usually present 

 on the wings of T . edentulus ; it is further distinguished 

 by the long black hairs of the vertex, by the pubescence 

 of the tibia? being of unequal length, instead of uniformly 

 short, and by the less distinct abdominal centre spots, 

 which are often wanting, though always present and clearly 

 defined in T. edentulus. 



Walker's type of T. antecedent is from Tasmania, and 

 the name is undoubtedly correct as applied to the Tas- 

 manian form. From the mainland of Australia, however, 

 come a large number of specimens of slightly different 

 appearance, at present placed under the same name, which 

 further investigation may perhaps divide into one or more 

 additional species. 



T. antecedent seems to be generally distributed in the 

 Tasmanian bush. My dates range from December 31 to 

 March 1. 



Tabanus edentulus, Macq. 



A common species resembling T . antecedent, but browner, 

 of more slender build, and with a row of clearly-defined 

 abdominal spots. Vertex with short hairs; front black; 

 antenna? with base brown, apex black ; thorax black with 

 four grey stripes, which arc sometimes indistinct; abdo- 

 men brownish-black, with hindmargins of segments 

 brown ; femora black, tibia? brown ; wings clear, with 

 a pale brown or yellow stigma. 



Length. Female. 11.5-13.5 mm. 



Hab. Bagdad Valley. (Probably generally distributed.) 



Female. Face grey; beard white. Frontal stripe long 

 and narrow, widening slightly below, black, dusted with 

 grey except, adjoining the frontal triangle, where it forms 

 a shining black callus, the whole bearing short black 

 pubescence, which is but little longer at the vertex than 

 below; frontal triangle brown, usually bright and shin- 

 in g, but sometimes covered with grey tomentum. Palpi 



