﻿CONTRIBUTION 
  TO 
  KNOWLEDGE 
  OF 
  TABANIDAE 
  OF 
  PALESTINE. 
  295 
  

  

  28(27). 
  Sides 
  of 
  pale 
  triangles 
  in 
  middle 
  line 
  of 
  abdomen 
  usually 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  

   concave 
  ; 
  first 
  posterior 
  cell 
  in 
  wing, 
  though, 
  often 
  narrowed 
  at 
  distal 
  

   extremity, 
  seldom 
  exceptionally 
  so 
  ; 
  front 
  in 
  $ 
  five 
  or 
  five 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  

   times 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  its 
  breadth 
  at 
  lower 
  extremity 
  ; 
  ground-colour 
  of 
  dorsum 
  

   of 
  abdomen 
  in 
  $ 
  either 
  russet, 
  black, 
  or 
  blackish 
  grey 
  — 
  if 
  russet, 
  then 
  

   venter 
  pale 
  smoke 
  grey 
  pollinose 
  orange-cinnamon 
  or 
  pinkish 
  cinnamon, 
  

   without 
  or 
  with 
  but 
  faintly 
  indicated, 
  broad, 
  dark, 
  median, 
  longitudinal 
  

   stripe 
  : 
  fairly 
  large 
  or 
  large 
  species, 
  15 
  to 
  nearly 
  19 
  mm. 
  in 
  length 
  

  

  autumnalis, 
  Linn. 
  [9]. 
  

  

  1. 
  Tabanus 
  decorus, 
  Lw. 
  

  

  One 
  (J, 
  three 
  2$, 
  near 
  Jerisheh, 
  5 
  miles 
  N.-E. 
  of 
  Jaffa, 
  between 
  26. 
  iv. 
  and 
  

   8.V.1918 
  ; 
  one 
  2> 
  Valley 
  of 
  Jehoshaphat, 
  Jerusalem, 
  20.iv.1918 
  (Captain 
  (acting 
  

   Lt-Col) 
  W.J.Dale, 
  O.B.E., 
  R.A.V.C.). 
  

  

  Notwithstanding 
  that 
  the 
  third 
  joint 
  of 
  the 
  antenna 
  in 
  three 
  of 
  the 
  $$ 
  

   mentioned 
  above 
  (it 
  is 
  wanting 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  two 
  specimens) 
  is 
  somewhat 
  broader 
  

   than 
  it 
  should 
  be, 
  according 
  to 
  Loew's 
  own 
  statement 
  and 
  the 
  subsequent 
  

   description 
  by 
  Brauer 
  (Denkschr. 
  k. 
  Akad. 
  Wiss., 
  xlii, 
  1880, 
  pp. 
  152-153), 
  there 
  

   can 
  be 
  little 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  determination 
  here 
  given 
  is 
  correct. 
  The 
  eye- 
  

   markings 
  in 
  this 
  species 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  course 
  of 
  disappearance, 
  and 
  to 
  be 
  some- 
  

   what 
  variable 
  in 
  consequence. 
  Loew 
  and 
  Brauer 
  describe 
  the 
  eyes 
  as 
  unbanded 
  

   in 
  the 
  <J, 
  but 
  as 
  having 
  in 
  the 
  2 
  a 
  single, 
  narrow, 
  greenish-yellow 
  transverse 
  band, 
  

   or 
  an 
  indistinct 
  trace 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  band. 
  The 
  <J 
  mentioned 
  above, 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   $ 
  9 
  taken 
  at 
  Jerisheh, 
  had 
  in 
  life 
  green 
  eyes, 
  each 
  marked 
  with 
  a 
  single, 
  faint, 
  narrow, 
  

   median, 
  golden 
  horizontal 
  band 
  ; 
  while 
  another 
  $ 
  captured 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  spot 
  had 
  

   bronze-green 
  eyes, 
  each 
  with 
  three 
  faint, 
  golden, 
  transverse 
  bands, 
  the 
  middle 
  one 
  

   being 
  the 
  more 
  distinct. 
  

  

  It 
  may 
  be 
  added 
  that 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  Tabanus 
  decorus 
  was 
  taken 
  in 
  Syria, 
  while 
  

   Brauer 
  (loc. 
  cit.) 
  records 
  the 
  species 
  as 
  occurring 
  in 
  the 
  Lebanon. 
  

  

  2. 
  Tabanus 
  alexandrinus, 
  Wied. 
  (fig. 
  5.). 
  

  

  Five 
  33, 
  three 
  <j>-£ 
  : 
  near 
  Jerisheh, 
  5 
  miles 
  N.-E. 
  of 
  Jaffa, 
  26.iv.1918 
  (one 
  3 
  

   beginning 
  of 
  May). 
  

  

  Although 
  the 
  brevity 
  and 
  lack 
  of 
  precision 
  of 
  the 
  original 
  description 
  (Aussereurop. 
  

   zweifl. 
  Ins., 
  ii, 
  1830, 
  p. 
  624) 
  of 
  this 
  entirely 
  black 
  species 
  would 
  render 
  identifi- 
  

   cation 
  difficult, 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt, 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  a 
  slight 
  discrepancy 
  as 
  regards 
  

   the 
  coloration 
  of 
  the 
  eyes, 
  that 
  the 
  specimens 
  referred 
  to 
  above 
  really 
  belong 
  to 
  

   T. 
  alexandrinus, 
  as 
  characterised 
  and 
  redescribed 
  by 
  Brauer 
  (Denkschr. 
  k. 
  A 
  had. 
  

   Wiss., 
  Bd. 
  xlii, 
  1880, 
  p. 
  161, 
  Taf. 
  ii 
  and 
  v, 
  figs. 
  23). 
  This 
  author 
  records 
  the 
  species 
  

   as 
  occurring 
  in 
  Syria 
  and 
  Italy, 
  and 
  states 
  that 
  Wiedemann's 
  collection 
  contains 
  

   examples 
  of 
  it 
  from 
  Alexandria. 
  A 
  distinctive 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  typical 
  form 
  of 
  

   T. 
  alexandrinus, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  5> 
  is 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  expanded 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  third 
  

   joint 
  of 
  the 
  antenna, 
  the 
  upper 
  margin 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  convex, 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  shows 
  no 
  trace 
  

   of 
  the 
  usual 
  excavation 
  (fig. 
  5). 
  The 
  expanded 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  third 
  antennal 
  

   joint 
  varies 
  in 
  width 
  in 
  different 
  individuals, 
  and 
  is 
  sometimes, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  

   <J, 
  a 
  good 
  deal 
  narrower 
  than 
  it 
  appears 
  in 
  the 
  figure. 
  Macquart 
  (Hist. 
  Nat. 
  Ins., 
  

   Dipt., 
  i, 
  1834, 
  p. 
  199), 
  who 
  redescribed 
  the 
  species 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  Tabanus 
  

  

  