﻿CONTRIBUTION 
  TO 
  KNOWLEDGE 
  OF 
  TABANIDAE 
  OF 
  PALESTINE. 
  293 
  

  

  Key 
  to 
  the 
  Sixteen 
  Species 
  of 
  Tabanus 
  recorded 
  below* 
  

  

  1 
  (It). 
  Eyes 
  (under 
  an 
  ordinary 
  hand 
  lens 
  magnifying 
  about 
  5 
  diameters) 
  distinctly 
  

  

  or 
  conspicuously 
  hairy. 
  

  

  2 
  (3). 
  Body 
  uniformly 
  black, 
  unrelieved 
  by 
  conspicuous 
  lighter 
  markings 
  formed 
  

  

  by 
  hair 
  or 
  ground-colour, 
  or 
  both 
  ; 
  wings 
  blackish 
  brown, 
  or 
  with 
  veins 
  

   strongly 
  suffused 
  with 
  that 
  colour 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  alexandrinus, 
  Wied. 
  [2]. 
  

  

  3 
  (2). 
  Body 
  not 
  uniformly 
  black, 
  if 
  mainly 
  black 
  or 
  slate-black 
  invariably 
  relieved 
  

  

  by 
  lighter 
  markings 
  formed 
  by 
  hair 
  or 
  ground-colour, 
  or 
  both 
  ; 
  wings 
  not 
  

   blackish 
  brown. 
  

  

  4 
  (5). 
  Dorsum 
  of 
  abdomen 
  with 
  greyish 
  olive 
  median 
  longitudinal 
  stripe 
  

  

  lunatus, 
  Fabr. 
  [6]. 
  

  

  5 
  (4). 
  Dorsum 
  of 
  abdomen 
  not 
  so 
  marked. 
  

  

  6 
  (7). 
  Dorsum 
  of 
  abdomen 
  with 
  three 
  longitudinal 
  series 
  of 
  clearly 
  denned, 
  pale 
  

  

  neutral 
  grey, 
  white 
  haired 
  or 
  whitish 
  haired 
  spots, 
  those 
  of 
  median 
  row 
  

   triangular 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  nemoralis, 
  Mg. 
  [7]. 
  

  

  7 
  (6). 
  Dorsum 
  of 
  abdomen 
  not 
  so 
  marked. 
  

  

  8 
  (9). 
  Large 
  or 
  very 
  large 
  species, 
  at 
  least 
  18 
  mm. 
  in 
  length 
  ; 
  dorsum 
  of 
  thorax, 
  

  

  including 
  scutellum, 
  densely 
  clothed 
  with 
  bright 
  ochreous 
  or 
  yellowish 
  

   hair 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  gigas, 
  Herbst 
  [4]. 
  

  

  9 
  (8). 
  Small 
  or 
  medium-sized 
  species, 
  not 
  exceeding 
  14 
  mm. 
  in 
  length. 
  

  

  10(11). 
  Second 
  (visible) 
  abdominal 
  tergite 
  in 
  both 
  sexes 
  with 
  a 
  double, 
  quadrate, 
  

   black 
  or 
  blackish 
  mouse 
  grey 
  mark, 
  occupying 
  median 
  third 
  and 
  partly 
  

   divided 
  by 
  an 
  indistinct 
  greyish 
  triangle, 
  based 
  on 
  hind 
  margin 
  

  

  decorus, 
  Lw. 
  [1]. 
  

  

  11(10). 
  Second 
  (visible) 
  abdominal 
  tergite 
  not 
  so 
  marked. 
  

  

  12(13). 
  Legs 
  in 
  § 
  (only 
  sex 
  at 
  present 
  known), 
  except 
  extreme 
  tips 
  of 
  femora, 
  

   entirely 
  black 
  or 
  slate-black 
  ; 
  no 
  sharply 
  marked 
  contrast 
  between 
  first 
  

   two 
  abdominal 
  tergites 
  and 
  the 
  two 
  following 
  ones 
  . 
  . 
  insecutor, 
  sp. 
  n. 
  [3]. 
  

  

  13(12). 
  Legs 
  in 
  $ 
  (only 
  sex 
  at 
  present 
  known) 
  not 
  entirely 
  black, 
  extreme 
  base 
  

   of 
  extensor 
  surface 
  of 
  front 
  tibiae, 
  and 
  middle 
  and 
  hind 
  tibiae 
  and 
  first 
  

   joint 
  of 
  middle 
  and 
  hind 
  tarsi 
  except 
  tips, 
  cream-buff 
  ; 
  first 
  two 
  

   abdominal 
  tergites 
  in 
  $ 
  greyish 
  olive 
  pollinose, 
  clothed 
  with 
  fairly 
  long 
  

   ochreous 
  hair, 
  and, 
  especially 
  when 
  viewed 
  from 
  the 
  side, 
  contrasting 
  

   sharply 
  with 
  next 
  two 
  tergites, 
  which 
  are 
  shining 
  black 
  

  

  mendicus, 
  Villen. 
  [5]. 
  

  

  14 
  (1). 
  Eyes 
  (under 
  an 
  ordinary 
  hand-lens 
  magnifying 
  about 
  5 
  diameters) 
  bare 
  or 
  

   apparently 
  so. 
  

  

  * 
  In 
  this 
  table, 
  as 
  in 
  that 
  for 
  the 
  genus 
  Haematopota 
  above, 
  contrasted 
  and 
  mutually 
  

   exclusive 
  statements 
  and 
  summaries 
  of 
  characters 
  are 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  paired 
  numbers 
  

   on 
  the 
  left, 
  the 
  contrasted 
  conditions 
  in 
  each 
  case 
  being 
  shown, 
  either 
  subsequently 
  or 
  

   previously, 
  under 
  the 
  second 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  pair 
  (i.e., 
  the 
  one 
  in 
  round 
  brackets). 
  

  

  The 
  number 
  in 
  square 
  brackets 
  [ 
  ] 
  after 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  a 
  species 
  indicates 
  the 
  serial 
  

   position 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  ensuing 
  pages. 
  

  

  It 
  should 
  be 
  noted 
  that 
  the 
  characters 
  of 
  a 
  given 
  species 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  table 
  are 
  only 
  

   sufficient 
  to 
  distinguish 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  other 
  species 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  synopsis 
  ; 
  

   they 
  are 
  not 
  necessarily 
  distinctive 
  as 
  regards 
  known 
  species 
  not 
  yet 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  

   Palestine, 
  but 
  which 
  may 
  ultimately 
  prove 
  to 
  form 
  part 
  of 
  its 
  fauna. 
  

  

  Tabanus 
  insecutor, 
  sp. 
  n., 
  is 
  shown 
  twice 
  in 
  the 
  table, 
  since 
  it 
  is 
  included 
  in 
  both 
  the 
  

   hairy-eyed 
  and 
  bare-eyed 
  categories 
  the 
  very 
  minute 
  hairs 
  on 
  the 
  eyes 
  in 
  the 
  £ 
  

   being 
  liable 
  to 
  be 
  overlooked 
  on 
  a 
  first 
  examination. 
  

  

  (637) 
  f2 
  

  

  