156 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. IV, 



I have not ^^et seen anj^ males which appear to belong to this 

 species. 



Tabanus albimedius, 2 cf , Walker. 

 (PI. xiii, fig. 8.) 

 Dipt. Saund., p. 48 (1850). 

 Tabanus vagus, 2 , Walker, Dipt. Saund., p. 50. 

 Tabanus umbrosus, 9 , Walker, Dipt. Saund., p. 52. 

 Tabanus priscus, 9 , Walker. List Dipt., i, p. 176 (1848). 

 ? Tabanus calidus , 9 , Walker Dipt Saund., p. 57. 

 Atylotus lachrymans , 9 , Bigot, Mem. Soc. Zool. France, v, 

 p. 669 (1892). 



In Brit. Mus. coll. the type ( 9 ) of albimedius from E. India 

 (Saunders coll.), other specimens from Nepal; India; and a long 

 series of males and females from Ceylon (Yerbury coll.) ; these lat- 

 ter are said to be common on the road from Trincomalee to Kan- 

 thalla. 



In Howlett coll. females from Umballa, 900 ft., ' h'ing close 

 on tree trunk ; ' ' males from Calcutta ; and males and females from 

 Pusa, Bengal. 



This species is very nearly allied to Tabanus rubidus, Wied., 

 being chiefly distinguished from it b}^ the lighter colour of abdomen 

 which is not uniforml}^ blackish brown or lilac-brown, as is the case 

 in typical specimens of the W^iedemann species, but is reddish 

 brown, usually darker brown each side of the median stripe, which 

 latter varies from narrow to wider triangular spots forming a more 

 or less continuous stripe. Under side reddish yellow. Thorax red- 

 dish brown with grey tomentum and indistinct grey stripes. Legs 

 are lighter in colour, the femora reddish brown, the tibiae yellowish 

 but the apices of the fore tibiae blackish, the tarsi reddish brown. 

 9 . Forehead five to six times as long as it is broad, shghtly 

 narrower anteriorly, frontal callus reddish brown, not quite reach- 

 ing the eyes, with a narrow linear extension, which at once dis- 

 tinguishes it from Tabanus striatus. Palpi, very pale yellow with 

 few or no black hairs. Antennae red, darker at the apex. Length 

 13I — 18^ mm. The male is difficult to distinguish from the males 

 of Tabanus striatus, but the shape of median stripe is different, 

 being not so straight or continuous. The males of the three 

 species striatus, albimedius and rubidus are all somewhat dinicult 

 to distinguish from each other. 



The species is very nearly allied to Tabanus rubidus, Wied., 

 and may perhaps eventually be regarded as only a form of the 

 above, as many of the specimens of both species are variable in 

 the colouring of the abdomen and of the legs and therefore 

 difficult to divide from each other. 



The series from Ceylon have the forehead racher narrower 

 anteriorly and the abdomen is rather more reddish yellow. 



