﻿NEW 
  AND 
  LITTLE-KNOWN 
  MESOPOTAMIAN 
  BLOOD-SUCKING 
  DIPTERA. 
  281 
  

  

  The 
  provenance 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  given 
  by 
  Macquart 
  simply 
  as 
  " 
  Arabic" 
  The 
  

   foregoing 
  specimens 
  agree 
  very 
  well 
  with 
  the 
  brief 
  original 
  description, 
  and, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  

   it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  judge 
  without 
  comparing 
  them 
  with 
  the 
  typical 
  <$ 
  and 
  $ 
  mentioned 
  

   by 
  the 
  author, 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  little 
  doubt 
  that 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  correctly 
  determined. 
  

  

  The 
  eyes 
  are 
  bare 
  in 
  both 
  sexes, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the^ 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  enlarged 
  facets, 
  

   which, 
  except 
  posteriorly, 
  occupies 
  approximately 
  the 
  upper 
  three-fourths, 
  is 
  sharply 
  

   demarcated 
  below 
  ; 
  posteriorly 
  the 
  border 
  of 
  small 
  facets 
  diminishes 
  progressively 
  

   in 
  width 
  from 
  below 
  upwards, 
  until, 
  apart 
  from 
  distinctions 
  caused 
  by 
  colour, 
  it 
  merges 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  imperceptibly 
  into 
  the 
  larger 
  facets 
  (here 
  greatly 
  reduced 
  in 
  size) 
  in 
  the 
  

   region 
  of 
  the 
  vertical 
  triangle. 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  $ 
  the 
  eyes 
  are 
  marked 
  with 
  three 
  

   purple 
  bands. 
  The 
  front 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  sex 
  is 
  of 
  moderate 
  width 
  above 
  and 
  narrower 
  

   below, 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  two 
  dark 
  brown 
  or 
  blackish-brown 
  frontal 
  calli, 
  the 
  lower 
  of 
  which 
  

   is 
  large 
  and 
  oval 
  or 
  oblong 
  in 
  shape, 
  while 
  the 
  upper 
  callus 
  is 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  linear 
  

   prolongation 
  from 
  the 
  lower. 
  In 
  both 
  sexes 
  the 
  dorsum 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen 
  exhibits 
  a 
  

   dusky, 
  median, 
  longitudinal 
  stripe, 
  normally 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  concealed 
  by 
  a 
  continuous 
  

   series 
  of 
  pale-haired, 
  olive-grey 
  triangles. 
  Between 
  median 
  stripe 
  and 
  lateral 
  border 
  

   on 
  each 
  side, 
  and 
  not 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  either, 
  is 
  a 
  longitudinal 
  series 
  of 
  oblique, 
  roughly 
  

   elongate-ovate, 
  pale-haired 
  spots, 
  those 
  forming 
  the 
  respective 
  pairs 
  being 
  situated 
  

   on 
  the 
  first 
  (visible) 
  to 
  the 
  sixth 
  tergites 
  inclusive, 
  and 
  extending 
  the 
  full 
  length 
  of 
  

   the 
  segment 
  in 
  each 
  case. 
  

  

  Macquart, 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  his 
  original 
  description 
  (Mem. 
  Soc. 
  roy. 
  Sc. 
  Agric. 
  Arts 
  

   Lille 
  1838, 
  iii, 
  p. 
  299, 
  1838), 
  states 
  that 
  T. 
  arabicus 
  resembles 
  T. 
  graccus, 
  Meig. 
  (sic). 
  

   If 
  by 
  T. 
  graecus, 
  " 
  Meig.," 
  the 
  homonymous 
  Fabrician 
  species 
  is 
  intended, 
  the 
  

   comparison 
  is 
  unfortunate, 
  since, 
  apart 
  from 
  family 
  and 
  generic 
  characters, 
  there 
  is 
  

   no 
  resemblance 
  whatever 
  between 
  the 
  two. 
  

  

  Tabanus 
  fumidus, 
  sp. 
  n. 
  (figs. 
  4, 
  5). 
  

  

  $. 
  — 
  Length 
  (three 
  specimens), 
  11-6 
  to 
  14-8 
  mm. 
  ; 
  width 
  of 
  head 
  just 
  over 
  4 
  to 
  

   5 
  mm. 
  ; 
  width 
  of 
  front 
  at 
  vertex, 
  0-6 
  to 
  0-75 
  mm. 
  ; 
  length 
  of 
  wing, 
  9-2 
  to 
  11 
  mm. 
  

  

  Smallish, 
  smoke-grey 
  species, 
  with 
  two 
  frontal 
  calli 
  in 
  9 
  and 
  bare 
  eyes 
  ; 
  front 
  in 
  $ 
  

   of 
  moderate 
  width 
  ; 
  dorsum 
  of 
  thorax 
  unicolorons, 
  with 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  trace 
  of 
  longitudinal 
  

   stripes 
  ; 
  dorsum 
  of 
  abdomen 
  with 
  darker 
  markings, 
  as 
  shown 
  in 
  fig. 
  4 
  ; 
  wings 
  hyaline, 
  

   with 
  an 
  appendix 
  to 
  anterior 
  branch 
  of 
  third 
  longitudinal 
  vein. 
  

  

  Head 
  : 
  front 
  and 
  subcallus 
  smoke-grey 
  pollinose, 
  former 
  clothed 
  with 
  minute 
  

   cream-coloured 
  hairs, 
  which 
  at 
  sides 
  of 
  and 
  above 
  upper 
  frontal 
  callus 
  are 
  sometimes 
  

   mixed 
  with 
  or 
  even 
  largely 
  replaced 
  by 
  minute 
  black 
  hairs, 
  no 
  trace 
  of 
  an 
  ocellar 
  

   tubercle 
  ; 
  a 
  faint 
  and 
  ill-defined, 
  sepia-coloured, 
  horizontal 
  band 
  connecting 
  base 
  

   of 
  each 
  antenna 
  with 
  corresponding 
  eye 
  ; 
  face, 
  jowls 
  and 
  occiput 
  pallid 
  neutral 
  

   grey 
  pollinose 
  or 
  whitish 
  pollinose, 
  the 
  two 
  former 
  and 
  basi-occipital 
  region 
  clothed 
  

   with 
  silvery-white 
  hair, 
  hind 
  margin 
  of 
  occiput 
  fringed 
  above 
  with 
  short, 
  whitish 
  

   hairs 
  ; 
  front 
  in 
  $ 
  somewhat 
  narrower 
  below, 
  about 
  four 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  or 
  five 
  times 
  as 
  

   long 
  as 
  its 
  breadth 
  at 
  lower 
  end 
  ; 
  frontal 
  calli 
  black 
  or 
  blackish 
  brown, 
  lower 
  callus 
  

   large, 
  shining, 
  quadrate, 
  only 
  separated 
  from 
  eye 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  by 
  narrowest 
  possible 
  

   pollinose 
  interval, 
  its 
  lower 
  margin 
  straight 
  and 
  not 
  descending 
  below 
  level 
  of 
  inner 
  

   angles 
  of 
  eyes, 
  upper 
  frontal 
  callus 
  less 
  shining 
  and 
  less 
  convex, 
  not 
  connected 
  with 
  

   lower 
  and, 
  when 
  completely 
  denuded, 
  sharply 
  defined 
  and 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  scutiform 
  ; 
  

   eyes 
  o/$ 
  in 
  life 
  bronze-green, 
  without 
  bands 
  ; 
  palpi 
  cream-coloured, 
  proximal 
  segment 
  

   clothed 
  with 
  hair 
  like 
  that 
  on 
  jowls, 
  distal 
  segment 
  in 
  $ 
  sharply 
  acuminate, 
  strongly 
  

   swollen 
  at 
  base 
  as 
  seen 
  from 
  side, 
  clothed 
  on 
  outer 
  side 
  with 
  minute, 
  appressed, 
  

   silvery-white 
  hairs, 
  occasionally 
  interspersed 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  minute, 
  black 
  hairs 
  ; 
  first 
  

   segment 
  of 
  antennae 
  (see 
  fig. 
  5a) 
  tawny-olive, 
  strongly 
  swollen 
  distally, 
  with 
  upper 
  

   distal 
  angle 
  conspicuously 
  produced 
  and 
  embracing 
  second 
  segment, 
  first 
  segment 
  

   clothed 
  with 
  glistening 
  cream-coloured 
  or 
  pale 
  Naples-yellow 
  hairs 
  (on 
  lower 
  distal 
  

   angle 
  and 
  under 
  surface 
  with 
  longer 
  whitish 
  hairs) 
  ; 
  second 
  segment 
  of 
  antennae 
  

  

  