t 
PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 21, NO. 8 , NOV., 1919 187 
which Tabanids had been observed, had an unusually heavy 
crop of fruit; the blooms were in the open and not shaded; pos- 
sibly they were pollenated by the Tabanids. The males of 
Tabanus lugubris , 1\ atratus and 7\ Uneola seemed to feed more 
after the leaves had been removed. All these species were com- 
mon, feeding on the fruits of the palmetto. There is a waxy 
exudation from the ripe palmetto fruit. 
During the late autumn and early winter several species of 
Tabamis were observed. On November 28 and 29, 1918, the 
region 11 to 16 miles southwest of Paradise Key on Ingraham 
Highway was visited. Quite a few adults of Tabamis atratus 1 
and some adults of 7 . Uneola were observed. A span oJ mules 
working on the highway were annoyed by these flies and the 
cook at the dredge working on the road, southwest of Paradise 
Key, stated that the species came into the house frequently, 
although not in such great numbers as Tabanus trijunctus , T. 
antericanus and T. turbidus. 
On December 6 two adults of T. atratus were seen at Paradise 
Key and several adults of T . Uneola were observed during the week. 
Adults of Chrysops were very persistent and annoying. 
M osier noted that T. atratus and 7 . Uneola adults occasionally 
were seen as late as December 12; all were females. They oc- 
curred oftener on the prairie and near water than within Royal 
Palm Hammock (Paradise Key). These gadflies are found 
around mules when they are going tlirough the hammock on the 
road. On December 12, Mosier saw a Tabanid struggling in the 
water. No males of either species had been observed for some 
time. 
There was a heavy rain on the morning of December 15, which 
was very unusual for this season. A few adults of 7\ atratus and 
Uneola were very persistent in attacking Mosier; a few were 
around the house but they were mostly on the road through the 
prairies. These are unusually late dates for any Tabanidae. 
However, occasional adults occur at Paradise Key during all the 
winter months. In 1918 there was an abnormal autumn; Mosier 
noted on December 15 that willow ( Salix amphibia) was in bloom, 
Icacorea , and Erythrina arbor ea , the harbinger of spring, was 
budding and would soon be in bloom. Saw palmetto, which 
bloomed in April in 1918, was putting out buds. Some live oaks 
were just shedding their acorns. Mastic that shed leaves in 
February, 1918, was nearly through shedding on December 15. 
Water covers the saw grass prairies of the Lower Everglades 
intermittently throughout the year after heavy rains; the lower 
sloughs are often completely inundated for long periods. 
1 Identified by C. T. Greene, of the Bureau of Entomology. 
188 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 21, NO. 8 , NOV., 1919 
On December 28 and 29, 1918, a few adults of Tabanus atratus 
were observed on the screen around the veranda of the Lodge. 
Another adult of this black gadfly was observed on Tanuarv 24, 
1919. 
Occasional adults of Chrysops were noted throughout the winter 
months at Paradise Key. A11 adult of Chrysops flavidus Wied. 
was captured on January 27, 1919. 
An adult of the small gadfly Tabanus Uneola was observed on 
the veranda screen on February 4, 1919, at Paradise Key. On 
February 11, 1919, a few deerflies ( Chrysops sp.) flew about 
Mosier’s head while he was walking along the road in the ham- 
mock at twilight; Mosier killed one on his face. 
The junior author visited Paradise Key on February 17, 1919. 
One adult of Chrysops flavidus was observed on this day, although 
the weather was cool. 
On February 19 the first adult of Tabanus Uneola seen by the 
junior author at Paradise Key in 1919 was collected. Female 
adults of Tabanus Uneola and T. 5 vittatus Wied. were captured 
on February 20, by the junior author. On the 21st recently 
transformed adults of this gadfly, both females and males, began 
to appear in numbers. On this date the live oak ( Ouercus vir - 
giniana) had the leaf buds opening. 
Digging in the moist muck under saw grass plants ( Cladium 
effusum) in the sloughs of the Everglades, just northeast of 
Paradise Key, on February 21, the junior author found the larvae 
of two species of Tabanids; large black striped larvae of T. sty gins 
Say and smaller yellowish white larvae of Chrysops sp. Tabanid 
larvae are predaceous. 
The muck is deep, at least one foot; the Tabanid larvae are 
found from one to several inches below the surface. At this 
date the muck was wet, since water had just receded; the surface 
of the slough was covered with a film of drying, whitish scum — 
low plant growth (algae), which floats on the water when the 
sloughs are flooded. 
On February 23, adults of Chrysops were collected about twenty 
miles southwest of Paradise Key, near the present termination 
of the unfinished Ingraham Highway. Early in the morning of 
February 25, C. A. Mosier took the junior author and H. S. 
Barber of the Bureau of Entomology, and A. Wetmore of the 
Biological Survey, from Paradise Key by auto to this point. 
After regretfully leaving Mr. Mosier, from this point we walked 
along the rough, unfinished, rocky road bed, to where the dredge 
was working. This dredge is towed along the canal made by 
blasting and dredging out material (limestone rock, marl, etc.), 
for the road. Chrysops and Tabanus Uneola were present near 
