﻿THE 
  TABANIDAE 
  OF 
  SOUTHERN 
  NY 
  AS 
  ALAND. 
  307 
  

  

  Haematopota 
  vittata, 
  Lw. 
  

  

  A 
  widely-spread, 
  but 
  not 
  very 
  abundant 
  species, 
  which 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  wing 
  throughout 
  

   the 
  rainy 
  season. 
  

  

  Haematopota 
  (Holcoceria) 
  nobilis, 
  Grtinb. 
  

  

  Although 
  I 
  had 
  long 
  felt 
  sure 
  that 
  this 
  species 
  must 
  occur 
  at 
  Mlanje, 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  

   until 
  October 
  1913 
  that 
  I 
  actually 
  discovered 
  it 
  there. 
  It 
  does 
  not 
  occur 
  among 
  

   the 
  forests 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  ground 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  mountain, 
  but 
  apparently 
  only 
  

   on 
  the 
  forested 
  slopes, 
  where 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  uncommon 
  from 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  October 
  Until 
  

   toward 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  December. 
  Efforts 
  to 
  find 
  the 
  larvae 
  or 
  pupae 
  in 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  

   mountain 
  streams, 
  where 
  it 
  most 
  probably 
  breeds, 
  were 
  unsuccessful. 
  Probably 
  

   a 
  search 
  should 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  for 
  them 
  somewhat 
  earlier 
  — 
  viz., 
  in 
  August 
  or 
  

   September. 
  

  

  Genus 
  Tab 
  anus. 
  

  

  As 
  already 
  explained, 
  the 
  representatives 
  of 
  this 
  genus 
  are 
  most 
  dominant 
  in 
  

   the 
  lower 
  and 
  drier 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  country, 
  where 
  vast 
  numbers 
  of 
  individuals 
  

   occur 
  in 
  the 
  season, 
  chiefly 
  from 
  October 
  to 
  January. 
  Near 
  Mt. 
  Mlanje, 
  

   though 
  individuals 
  are 
  not 
  particularly 
  abundant, 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  species 
  is 
  

   nevertheless 
  large. 
  The 
  larvae 
  of 
  many 
  species 
  of 
  Tabanus 
  were 
  found, 
  

   and 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  in 
  considerable 
  abundance. 
  In 
  some 
  cases, 
  such 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  highly 
  

   pigmented 
  species 
  of 
  which 
  T. 
  insignis 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  as 
  a 
  type, 
  recognition 
  is 
  very 
  

   easy. 
  In 
  others, 
  such 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  T. 
  biguttatus, 
  T. 
  maculatissimus 
  and 
  T. 
  taeniola, 
  

   there 
  is 
  a 
  considerable 
  general 
  resemblance, 
  and 
  though 
  the 
  adult 
  larvae 
  are 
  fairly 
  

   distinct, 
  the 
  immature 
  forms 
  are 
  more 
  difficult 
  to 
  separate. 
  The 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  anal 
  

   segment 
  forming 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  syphon 
  is 
  generally 
  long 
  and 
  tapered, 
  and 
  not 
  

   somewhat 
  bottle- 
  shaped 
  as 
  in 
  Chrysops, 
  nor 
  short 
  and 
  abruptly 
  terminated 
  as 
  in 
  

   Haematopota. 
  A 
  dorso-lateral 
  comb 
  is 
  usually 
  present 
  in 
  the 
  pupa 
  and 
  is 
  sometimes 
  

   very 
  strongly 
  developed. 
  

  

  Tabanus 
  africanus, 
  Gray. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  primarily 
  a 
  low-country, 
  lake-shore 
  and 
  river-valley 
  species, 
  and 
  was 
  

   scarce 
  at 
  Mt. 
  Mlanje 
  itself, 
  though 
  common 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  east, 
  especially 
  near 
  

   Lake 
  Chilwa. 
  It 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  wing 
  from 
  October 
  or 
  November 
  until 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  May 
  

   in 
  some 
  localities, 
  and 
  may 
  therefore 
  be 
  a 
  two-brooded 
  species, 
  even 
  in 
  Nyasaland 
  r 
  

   I 
  did 
  not, 
  however, 
  obtain 
  the 
  larvae, 
  so 
  can 
  throw 
  no 
  light 
  on 
  this 
  point. 
  

  

  Tabanus 
  maculatissimus, 
  Macq. 
  

  

  A 
  common 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  Mt. 
  Mlanje, 
  though, 
  as 
  on 
  former 
  

   occasions, 
  the 
  males 
  were 
  exceedingly 
  hard 
  to 
  find. 
  A 
  few 
  individuals, 
  two 
  males 
  

   and 
  five 
  females, 
  were 
  bred 
  during 
  November 
  from 
  larvae 
  obtained 
  in 
  Portuguese 
  

   territory 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  mountain. 
  They 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  mud 
  in 
  a 
  partially 
  

   dried-up 
  stream. 
  These 
  larvae 
  were 
  not, 
  however, 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  distinguished 
  from 
  

   those 
  of 
  T. 
  biguttatus, 
  of 
  which 
  they 
  w 
  T 
  ere 
  thought 
  to 
  be 
  immature 
  examples. 
  The 
  

   figure 
  (PI. 
  xxvii, 
  fig. 
  7) 
  is 
  from 
  other 
  individuals, 
  obtained 
  subsequently, 
  which 
  

   (C.120) 
  c2 
  

  

  