TABANID^ OF OHIO. y 



lation and deposition of eggs must take place very soon after 

 emergence from the water."* A careful examination was made 

 of the females of the pairs taken in copulation to see if there 

 was any indication of their having taken food previously. In 

 several cases the alimentary tract was found to be well filled 

 with blood. Two pairs were preserved in formalin, and when 

 dissected the digestive system of, the female contained a quantity 

 ■of hardened blood, which when treated with glacial acetic acid 

 yielded hseniin crystals. 



Pangonia rasa, which is the only species of its genus so far 

 taken in Ohio, has been found on flowers only. From what I 

 liave observed the female of this species has a special liking for 

 flowers, for specimens have been taken from these when cattle 

 were grazing near by at the time. 



Goniops chrysocoma appears to be a common species in the 

 state, but I have never seen it around stock. The females have 

 iDcen taken most often in woods resting on foliage of both her- 

 iDaceous and woody plants. This sex may often be located by 

 the noise made in vibrating the wings rapidly and striking the 

 leaf at each downward stroke. Specimens have often been taken 

 from dead leaves where the noise made is much louder than 

 when the leaf is green. The males fly rapidly, and at intervals 

 ■come to rest on low growing plants where they remain for a time ; 

 then they take wing again and are away so rapidly that the eye 

 cannot follow them. Males at rest are easily approached, and 

 this sex has been taken about as often as has the female. 



Many, if not all, of the Tabanidse in both sexes have the 

 habit of coming to the water, and lowering themselves to its 

 surface, dip several times in succession, and then fly away to 

 alight on the bank or disappear from sight altogether. Writers 

 have said that this is done for the purpose of drinking, and that 

 at each dip a small quantity of water is taken up by the proboscis. 

 This habit has an economic bearing which will be discussed on 

 another page of this paper. 



ANATOMY OF TABANUS SULCIFRONS MACOUART. 



Tabanus sulcifrons, on account of the ease with which nu- 

 merous specimens can be procured, has been chosen for the sub- 

 ject of a short study of anatomy. 



In this study it has been the aim to use names which are in 

 most common usage by the more prominent dipterologists, but 

 sometimes a choice of one of the many names that have been 

 used for a single region is a rather difficult matter. 



Report U. S. Commissioner of Agriculture for 1886, 509.' 



