ERYTHRODIPLAX. 259 
6. Krythrodiplax connata. 
Under this name, as the oldest among a number which apply to what appear to be variants of a widely- 
distributed neotropical species, I class a large number of individuals, agreeing in structural and venational 
characters, but differing among themselves in the colour of the frons and face of the males, and in the extent 
of colouring on the bases of the wings. 
To make the data at hand useful to others, the following table exhibits the gradations which exist in the 
wing-colouring in the two parallel series of red- and blue-fronted males, the letters a, a’, &c., referring to 
the lists of specimens which belong to the respective places in the table. 
Ochraceous colouring at base of 
FRONT WING none; |only perceptible | reaching distad half-|(as in preceding | reaching distad to| reaching distad to 
with lens; way to first ante-| column); first antecubital] second antecubital, 
cubital and half- and submedian| and in submedian 
way to submedian cross-vein ; space to level of 
cross-vein ; arculus ;__ 
WIND WING reaching | to submedian cross- |halfway between |{@8 in preceding to second or third/to 5th antecubital 
distad halfway to| vein; first and second| column); antecubital, ar-| and one cell be- 
submedian cross- antecubitals and culus, and trian-) yond triangle ; 
vein or less; between subme- angle ; 
dian cross - vein 
and triangle ; 
caudad not so far | to apex of membra- | to apex of membra- | to two cells beyond to anal “angle,” (as in preceding 
as apex of mem-| nule. nule. apex of membra-| but not to hind| column). 
branule. nule. margin. 
Frons, vertex, and ; 
face generally, red; 
lips yellowish or f a. b. Cc d. ° f. 
reddish-yellow. J 
Frons and vertex 
metallic-blue ; face 
obscure, often 
black, especially | } a’. b’. c'. dq’. e'. f’. 
labrum; labium 
yellowish to black- 
ish-brown. 
The distances to which the basal colouring of the wings extends, as here given, have no other significance 
than that of convenience and of fixing more precisely the extent of the colour as found in the types described 
by authors under certain specific names; many individuals intermediate between b and c, cand d, b’ and ce’, 
c’ and d’, &c., exist, as mentioned below. The ochraceous tint darkens with age, but the extent of the 
coloured area does not change, so that an individual of b does not subsequently acquire a © stage, &c. 
The difference in the colour of the frons and face seems to have greater taxonomic value because more 
constant, and because pruinose individuals of both red-fronted and blue-fronted forms exist. However, specific 
weight has not been given to this distinction, owing to the presence of some intermediate individuals which 
have the front mixed red and blue. That this mixing indicates an age-difference seems probable in many of the 
“ mixed-fronted” examples mentioned below. On the other hand, comparison of the immature and mature males 
of f’ from the West Indies (justiniana, Selys) does not give any reason for supposing that a red-fronted stage 
is passed through on the way to the blue frons in this particular insular and somewhat dwarfed form. 
Recently transformed males of both the red-fronted and the blue-fronted series have the face yellowish to 
greenish ; the same colours or even brown appear on the faces of females of all ages; the extent of wing- 
colouring in the females seems to vary greatly and individually in the same locality, even where the male 
wings are nearly uniform; all these individuals therefore are often impossible of exact classification in our 
present knowledge. 
