﻿126 ERNEST E. AUSTEN — NEW AFRICAN 



covering of the dorsal surface of the latter. In the shortness of the face and of 

 the proboscis, as well as in the coloration and markings of the abdomen, the new 

 species also displays affinity to Dorcaloemus fodiens, Austen, and D. woosnami, 

 Austen, although from both of these D. silverlocki is distinguishable by the 

 narrow and elongate shape of the body, the larger size of the frontal callus, and 

 the conspicuous coat of bright orange-ochraceous hair on the dorsal surface of 

 the abdomen. 



The specimen selected as the type of Z>. silverlocki exhibits a number of 

 remarkable, narrow, elongate, fringed laminae projecting from the inner surfaces 

 of its divergent labella, similar to the corresponding structures exhibited by the 

 foregoing species (q.v.) ; the determination of the exact nature of these processes 

 must be postponed until the acquisition of further material. 



Genus Subpangonia, Surcouf. 



The genus Subpangonia (originally characterised by its describer as a 

 " subgenus ") is distinguished from Pangonia, Latr., by its remarkable proboscis. 

 This organ, which, in dead specimens at any rate, slants downwards at an obtuse 

 angle with the longitudinal axis of the body, is of only moderate length or rela- 

 tively short, and, instead of being slender and needle-like in appearance, looks 

 thick and fleshy. The most striking external features of the proboscis are 

 exhibited by the labella, which, instead of being small, inconspicuous, and narrow 

 at the tips, are extraordinarily large, blunt-ended, and rather longer than or at 

 least as long as half the total length of the proboscis. From the upper margin 

 of the inner surface of each labellum there projects downwards, at an angle with 

 the axis of the proboscis, a series of light-coloured or reddish, rod-like processes, 

 which are broader at the base and narrower at the tip, and diminish successively 

 in length. Each labellum apparently bears ten or eleven of these rod-like 

 structures, the proximal five or six of which are longer than the remainder, and 

 (in dead specimens at any rate) protrude conspicuously below the lower ends of 

 the rest, of which the extreme tips alone are visible from the outer side. Surcouf" 5 

 describes the rod-like processes as " almost completely closed tubes," and says 

 that their function would appear to be to assist the insect in sucking up blood or 

 other fluids. By means of a mere external examination the present writer has 

 not been able to satisfy himself that the bodies in question are really tubular, 

 and their precise structure and significance remain to be determined ; meanwhile 

 the attention of the reader may be directed to the existence of apparently 

 homologous processes on the inner surfaces of the labella in Dorcaloemus 

 silverlocki, Austen (supra), and Pangonia comata, Austen (see p. 123). 



The blunt ends of the labella are somewhat shining on the outer side, and are 

 sparsely but rather coarsely punctured. At the base of the labella the labium 

 broadens out on each side into a thickened flange-like extension ; these flanges 

 embrace the labrum, on the upper surface of which their edges almost meet 

 together. When the head of the insect is viewed in profile, the flange-like 



* Bulletin du Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle, 1908, No, 6, p. 284 (Paris : October, 

 1908). 



