The Odonata or Dragonfties of South Africa. 357 



bad reputation with the people, as being highly dangerous to man 

 and venomous stingers. But dangerous and terrible as they are to any 

 flying insect up to a middle-sized dragonfly, they are utterly harmless 

 to man, and incapable to do the least harm. The long abdomen is a 

 steering apparatus in the mad flight, and the more or less pointed 

 appendages at its end are, as we know, copulatory organs. No sting, 

 no poison, not even a trace of smelling secretion is found either 

 in this group, or any other in Odonata. There is a good representa- 

 tion of the genus Anax in the fauna under discussion ; but otherwise 

 the region appears poor mAeschninae, though discovery of some other 

 species is not improbable. 



Larvae of Aeschninae (Plate XII, fig. 4) are of a rather uniform 

 type throughout the subfamily. Body elongate, ventral side flat (as 

 in all nymphs of Atiisoptera), dorsal side convex to almost half- 

 cylindrical shape. 



Labium long and flat, its lateral lobes hook-like. Legs long and 

 slender, not fossorial. 



1. E forked proximal to pterostigma ; more than two rows of cells between 

 the branches. Between Rs and Rspl a uniform network of cells, also 

 between M 4 and Mspl. 



Origin of M 4 in middle of arculus or slightly behind ; origin of M\.$ nearer 

 to M 4 than to the costal end of arculus. Proximal anal margin of hind 

 wing excised in male, with anal triangle. (Plate VIII, figs. 7, 8, 9) 2. 

 Rs forked distally to middle of pterostigma, costal branch of fork con- 

 tinuing the main direction of sector ; fork narrow with but two ranges 

 of cells between the branches. Between Rs and Rspl a number of small 

 additional sectors parallel and similar to anal branch of fork. Similar 

 structures between M 4 and Mspl. Origin of M 4 in front of middle of 

 arculus, of M ]3 nearer to costal end of arculus than to origin of H 4 . 

 Proximal anal margin of hind wing similar in both sexes, rounded, no 

 distinct anal triangle. (Plate V, fig. 1.) No earlets at second abdominal 

 segment of male. M., abruptly bent toward the costa in level of distal 

 end of pterostigma 4. 



L'. Frons and face comparatively broad, more than one-third of the transverse 

 diameter of head. Anterior ridge of frons moderately convex, rounded. 

 Eyes moderately large, their line of contact not much longer than 

 length of dorsal surface of frons. Tenth ventral plate of female not 

 projecting, covered with many fine denticles in distal half. Membranule 

 large. (Plate VIII, figs. 8, 9.) 



Frons and face comparatively narrow, less than one-third of the trans- 

 verse diameter of head. Anterior ridge of frons produced in an almost 

 right angle. Eyes very large, their line of contact about twice the 

 length of dorsal surface of frons. Abdomen very slender. Tenth ventral 

 plate of female produced in two long, fine, ventrally curved spines. 

 Membranule very small. (Plate VIII, fig. 7) . . . Gynacantha. 



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