405 



NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF SPECIES OF TABANIDAE FROM 



HONG KONG. 



By Gertrude Ricardo. 



The blood-sucking flies here dealt with, were collected in Hong Kong by Dr. H. 

 Macfarlane, the Government Bacteriologist, and Mr. Adam Gibson, M.R.C.V.S., 

 the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon, and were forwarded by them to the Imperial 

 Bureau of Entomology. The collection comprises not many species, but long 

 series of several species, such as Tahanus rubidiis, Wied., T. alhimedmSf Wlk., 

 T. sanguinarius, Wlk., and T. mandarinus, Schiner. 



Tabanus rubidus, Wied. 



A long series of 148 males and 171 females. The females are all of the typical 

 blackish colour, only two specimens inclining to the reddish colour similar to that of 

 Tabanus alhimedius, Walker ; whereas all the males are reddish in colour on the 

 abdomen, two specimens only approaching the colour of the females. This strengthens 

 my belief that T. alhimedius will prove in the end to be only a form of T. rubidus 

 (see my remarks in Records Indian Museum, iv, no. 6, p. 156, 1911). 



Tabanus albimedius, Walker. 



A series of 11 females and 2 males. There are four or five females of a darker colour, 

 not the typical colour of Tabanus rubidus, which might possibly be a new species, 

 but for the present I prefer to label them as a form of T. albimedius, finding no 

 good characters to distinguish them from the typical form ; they are rather larger 

 in size. 



Tabanus mandarinus, Schiner. 



A very large series of 235 males and 319 females, many of them with the lateral 

 spots extending to the fourth and fifth segments, even to the sixth, and all with 

 broad abdomens. It appears to me doubtful whether the species can be kept separate 

 from Tabanus amaenus. Walker (see my remarks on these two species in Records 

 Indian Museum, iv, n. 6, p. 167, 1911). 



ibanus sanguineus, Walker. 



Females only are present (83), at least I cannot distinguish any males as belonging 

 this species. 



Tabanus macfarlanei, sp. nov. 



Type (female) and a series of 21 others from Hong Kong. 



A medium-sized blackish species with clear wings, the fore border brownish ; 

 forehead narrow ; antennae reddish ; legs black. Length, type 14 mm., others 

 12-16 mm. Distinguished from Tabanus inobservatus, Ricardo, by the red antennae, 

 and from T. perakiensis, Ricardo, by the blackish tibiae and the wholly black 

 beard and palpi. 



