20 BULLETIN" 1218, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table 3. — Developmental period of Tabanus punctifer. 



Date hatched. 



Date of pupa- 

 tion. 



Period of 

 larval de- 

 velopment. 



Date of 

 emer- 

 gence. 



Pupal 

 period. 



Sex. 



Total period 

 of develop- 

 ment. 



1917. 



July 13,1919 

 July 1, 1919 

 July 29,1919 

 July 1, 1919 



Yr. Mo. Da. 

 1 9 20 

 1 9 8 

 1 10 6 

 1 9 8 



1919. 

 Died.. . 



Days. 





Yr. Mo. Da. 



Do 



July 18 

 Aug. 19 

 July 19 



17 

 21 

 18 



Female 



Female 



Male 



1 9 25 



Do 



1 10 27 



Do 



1 9 26 







Thus the developmental period in some cases is nearly two years. 

 The larvae were isolated in the rearing jars previously described. 

 During the winter months they were cared for at the State experi- 

 ment station at Reno, Nev. 



Habits of the Larva and Pupa. 



Tabanus punctifer larvae are cannibalistic, and in rearing them 

 isolation is necessary. 



Larvae of this species were sometimes found in marshy areas and 

 in the mud of sloughs. Several large ones were found in the loose 

 gravel and sand a little above the edge of the water in an irrigation 

 ditch. The ditch carries water all summer and part of the winter. 

 The water is clear and cool and flows rather rapidly. These larvae 

 were found most abundantly, however, around the shore of Alkali 

 Lake. They were almost always found a little above the water line, 

 where waves kept the shore wet. Many were found in very coarse 

 gravel and others in finely divided and decaying vegetation washed 

 up on the shore. Always they were in very wet material. The water 

 in this lake is somewhat alkaline, there being no outlet. A few fish 

 are found in the lake. 



In the rearing jars pupae of T. punctifer were found near the 

 surface of the medium, where there was less moisture. The pupae 

 were rather difficult to find in nature. On August 20, 1919, two 

 pupae were found along the west shore of Alkali Lake. They were 

 about an inch below the surface in loose, fine gravel, fairly moist, 

 approximately 8 feet away from the edge of the water, on a rather 

 gradually sloping shore. The season being a dry one, the water 

 line had been slowly receding, and possibly pupation took place 

 slightly nearer the edge of the water. From these pupae a male and 

 a female emerged August 27, or seven days after collection. Hence 

 they were pupae of about 12 days when found. 



TABANUS PHAENOPS Osten Sacken. 



Description of Adult. 



Tabanus phaenops (10) is commonly known in Antelope Valley 

 as the greenhead. The eyes are bright green, the thorax glossy black, 

 and the abdomen broadly red on the side. (PI. II, A, B.) It was 

 described by Osten Sacken (11) in 1877. His description follows: 



sp.— A Therioplectes of the same .croup with T. 



Tabanus phaenops 

 sonomensis. 



Female. — Grayish-black ; sides of the abdomen red ; wings hyaline, no dis- 

 tinct brown cloud on the bifureation [bifurcation] of the third vein ; antennse 

 black. Length 13-14 mm - 



