370 Annals of the South African Museum. 



ANAX TRISTIS (Hagen, 1867). 



S. Afr. Mus. : 1 d , Bulawayo, Rhodesia ; Grootfontein, S.W. 

 Protectorate (i . 1919, Lightfoot). Mus. Bruxelles : 1 ? , Kinchassa 

 (26 . x . 1899, Waelbroeck). Mus. Tervuereu : 1 ? , Kiambi (19 . ii . 

 1911, E. Valdonis) ; 1 J 1 , Kunga (iii . 1913, Verschuereu). Mus. 

 Hamburg: Itf, Quitta, W. Africa (J. Cordts). 



$ . Labium and labrum dull ferruginous, gradually passing to 

 blackish at free margins. Face and frous light green ; at base of 

 frons a triangular black margin, the obtuse angle of which reaches 

 to half-way between base and anterior ridge. Thorax light green, 

 latero- ventral J "sutures marked with dull ferruginous. Legs black, 

 femora dull ferruginous at extreme base. Abdomen inflated at base, 

 considerably contracted in segment 3, almost cylindrical, rather 

 slender from end of 3 to 7, gradually widened to the end, to be 

 broadest at segment 9. Segments 3-6 very long, 10 strongly convex 

 dorsally, almost globose. Segments 1-2 light green, terminal joints 

 lined with black, a broad bilobate black spot on dorsum of 2 ; 

 3 green to transverse cariua, black posteriorly, this colour projecting 

 almost to anterior margin in a narrow mid-dorsal line ; 4-7 black, 

 each side with a rounded light green spot at both ends, the anterior 

 spots slightly larger on 4-5, the posterior ones on 6-7 ; 8-9 black 

 with only the posterior green spots ; 10 wholly black. Appendages 

 dark brown; superiors nearly straight at lateral margin, the median 

 margin triangularly projecting with angle slightly beyond the middle; 

 apex truncate, medially rounded, laterally produced in a short point 

 which is the end of the dorsal cariua ; distal half of median margin 

 densely covered with long brown pubescence. Inferior appendage 

 nearly two-fifths longer than the superior, broadly triangular, 

 truncate and slightly emarginate. Wings hyaline ; at base of the 

 posterior a dark golden- brown spot along the membranule ; slightly 

 beyond the triangle, between M 4 and anal margin, a diffuse light- 

 brown cloud. Costal vein with a yellowish line ; pterostigma dark 

 brown on upper, ochreous on under side of wing. Membranule white 

 in proximal third, black in distal two-thirds. 



9 . Exactly similar to male in colour. Abdominal segments 3-6 

 much less elongate. Appendages comparatively short, foliaceous, 

 elliptic in outline. 



J. Abel 84 + 6-5, hdw. 61, yt. < 6 mm. ? , 70 + 4, 63, < 6. 



This wonderful insect is one of the largest dragonflies, the female 

 of otherwise regular proportions, the male conspicuous by the greatly 

 elongate abdomen. No doubt it is a powerful flier, and it would be 

 of interest to learn something regarding its habits and behaviour. 



