﻿THE 
  TABANIDAE 
  OF 
  SOUTHERN 
  NYAS 
  ALAND. 
  

  

  317 
  

  

  The 
  pupal 
  aster 
  somewhat 
  resembles 
  that 
  of 
  T. 
  laverani 
  in 
  the 
  great 
  development 
  

   of 
  the 
  middle 
  pair 
  of 
  hooks. 
  The 
  dorso-lateral 
  comb 
  is 
  absent, 
  a 
  character 
  I 
  have 
  

   not 
  yet 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  pupa 
  of 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  Tabanus, 
  except 
  in 
  T. 
  medionotatus. 
  

   The 
  other 
  combs 
  are, 
  however, 
  striking 
  and 
  characteristic, 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  from 
  

   the 
  figure. 
  

  

  Tabanus 
  diversus, 
  Hie. 
  

  

  A 
  considerable 
  series 
  of 
  females 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  was 
  taken 
  in 
  October 
  in 
  the 
  flat 
  

   country 
  east 
  of 
  Mt. 
  Mlanje 
  over 
  the 
  Portuguese 
  border. 
  The 
  eyes 
  in 
  living 
  

   individuals 
  are 
  somewhat 
  peculiar, 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  dusky 
  with 
  a 
  slight 
  greenish 
  

   iridescence 
  and 
  a 
  well-marked 
  patch 
  of 
  purple 
  iridescence 
  near 
  the 
  upper 
  margin, 
  

   which 
  does 
  not, 
  as 
  is 
  usually 
  the 
  case, 
  vary 
  with 
  the 
  position 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  eye 
  is 
  

   examined. 
  This 
  is 
  evidently 
  an 
  early 
  species 
  of 
  Tabanus, 
  as 
  these 
  females 
  had 
  

   certainly 
  emerged 
  some 
  time 
  and 
  the 
  males 
  were 
  over. 
  The 
  only 
  males 
  which 
  

   I 
  have 
  seen 
  were 
  taken 
  in 
  Northern 
  Rhodesia, 
  near 
  Fort 
  Jameson, 
  on 
  a 
  previous 
  

   expedition 
  toward 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  September. 
  

  

  Tabanus 
  gratus, 
  Lw. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  common 
  species 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  earliest 
  on 
  the 
  wing 
  in 
  Nyasaland, 
  

   occurring 
  sometimes 
  in 
  August. 
  Larvae 
  and 
  pupae 
  were 
  collected 
  in 
  this 
  month, 
  

   the 
  first 
  individual 
  emerging 
  in 
  the 
  laboratory 
  on 
  1st 
  September. 
  The 
  larva 
  

   (Plate 
  xxviii, 
  fig. 
  12) 
  is 
  moderately 
  pigmented, 
  though, 
  compared 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  

  

  Fig. 
  28. 
  Tabanus 
  gratus, 
  Lw. 
  ; 
  (a) 
  pupal 
  aster 
  of 
  <$, 
  X 
  35; 
  (a') 
  dorso-lateral 
  comb 
  

   of 
  6*> 
  X 
  70 
  ; 
  (b 
  t 
  b' 
  ) 
  dorso-lateral 
  comb 
  of 
  $, 
  in 
  two 
  different 
  individuals. 
  

  

  T. 
  insignis, 
  the 
  pigmented 
  areas 
  are 
  nearly 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  segments 
  

   and 
  are 
  not 
  nearly 
  so 
  dark 
  in 
  colour. 
  The 
  syphon 
  is 
  somewhat 
  longer 
  than 
  in 
  that 
  

   species. 
  A 
  few 
  larvae 
  were 
  obtained 
  in 
  the 
  stream 
  beds 
  near 
  Mt. 
  Mlanje 
  and 
  a 
  

   jmall 
  series 
  in 
  Portuguese 
  territory 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  mountain 
  early 
  in 
  October. 
  

  

  The 
  pupal 
  aster 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  normal 
  type, 
  being 
  regular 
  in 
  outline. 
  The 
  spines 
  of 
  the 
  

   dorso-lateral 
  comb 
  are 
  much 
  reduced, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  male. 
  

  

  Tabanus 
  leucostomus, 
  Lw. 
  

  

  I 
  did 
  not 
  take 
  this 
  species 
  near 
  Mlanje, 
  as 
  it 
  seems 
  to 
  prefer 
  rivers 
  with 
  sandy 
  beds 
  

   in 
  somewhat 
  open 
  country. 
  It 
  was 
  found 
  sparingly 
  on 
  the 
  Mwanza 
  River 
  in 
  July 
  

   and 
  also 
  on 
  the 
  Kola 
  River, 
  Portuguese 
  East 
  Africa, 
  in 
  April. 
  

  

  