THE DIPTERA-BRACHYCERA OF TASMANIA. 

 Part II. Families Tabanidm & Therevidm. 



By Arthur White. 



(Received 14th July, 1915. Read 9th August, 1915. Issued 

 separately 20th November, 1915.) 



Family V. TABANID.E. 



Bristleless flies of a more or less broad and flattened 

 shape, with large squamae. 



Head large and broad, the back flat or concave, and 

 fitting close to the thorax. Antennae porrect, the third 

 joint always annulated. Proboscis projecting, and fre- 

 quently considerably elongated. Eyes large, touching in 

 the male, but widely separated in the female. Thorax 

 large and strongly built, without any sign of bristles. 

 Abdomen broad and rather flat, composed of seven obvi- 

 ous segments. Legs fairly stout, middle tibiae always, 

 and hind tibiae sometimes, spurred. Wings with the nor- 

 mal venation of the Brachycera ; the anal cell always 

 closed, the first and fourth posterior cells either closed 

 or open ; the upper branch of the cubital fork frequently 

 possessing a small recurrent veinlet. Squamae large and 

 somewhat upraised. 



The Tahanidce are commonly called in Australia 

 "March Flies," and in other parts of the world "Horse 

 Flies" or "Gad Flies." The females are persistent blood- 

 suckers, and will attack man and animals indiscriminately. 

 The males are much rarer and less frequently met with 

 than the females; they frequent flowers, whilst one Tas- 

 manian species occurs settled on the ground in hot, sandy 

 places, and the male of another species flies rapidly to 

 and fro in the bright sunshine. The females of several 

 species of Tabanus are common in the bush throughout 

 the summer; the name "March Flies" is, however, some- 

 what inappropriate when applied to Tasmanian species, 

 as specimens are seldom to be met with after the first 

 few days of that month. 



The Tahanidce are divided into two subfamilies, chiefly 

 distinguished by the presence or absence of spurs on the 

 hind tibiae, those with spurs forming the Pangonince, 

 those without spurs the Tabanince. The genera are but 



A 



