The OJoiKita or Drayonflies of South Africa. 373 



HEMIANAX EPHIPPIGEB (Burmeister, 1839). 



S. Afr. Mus. : 1 9, Barberton, Transvaal (i . 1912, H. Edwards) ; 

 1 , Salisbury, Mashoualand (x . 1910) ; at sea on SS. " Eurypides," 

 2 4' S., 10 12' W. Mus. Hamburg: 1 $, Delagoa Bay (1893, W. 

 Joost). Coll. E. B. Williamson : 3^,1 9, Mashonalaud (xi ..1900, 

 Marshall). 



<$ . Face and frons light yellow ; at base of frous a broadly tri- 

 angular black mark and a rather broad black line on anterior ridge, 

 the two marks not fused. Thorax light greyish ochreous, passing 

 gradually to light greenish-yellow shades at the sides. Latero-veutral 

 sutures broadly lined with black ; stigma and a small point above it 

 black. Legs moderately long, not robust ; black, extreme base of 

 third femora ferruginous, first femora light yellowish internally. 

 Abdomen moderately inflated at base, slightly constricted in third 

 segment, rather slender and very gradually widened from end of 3 to 

 10. Segment 1 light yellowish laterally, greyish dorsally ; 2 light 

 yellowish laterally, brilliant sky blue dorsally (often discoloured in 

 dried specimens) ; 3-7 ochreous to light ferruginous, with a narrow, 

 sinuate, mid-dorsal blackish band ; 8-10 blackish brown with large 

 posterior lateral ochreous spots. Appendages ferruginous ; superior 

 in dorsal view gradually convergent in last third, to end in a rather 

 sharp point ; on lateral view the broad dorsal fold rises to a pointed 

 tubercle at beginning of distal third. Inferior appendage not quite 

 one-half the length of the superior, broadly triangular, its lateral 

 ridges each armed with a row of dorsally directed sharp black spines. 



Wings very slightly tinged with yellowish grey, with a broad cloud 

 of deeper yellow in hind wing between M and anal margin. Yenatiou 

 in great part light ochreous. Pterostigma ferruginous. Membrauule 

 white at base, passing gradually into light grey at the wings' edge. 



$ . Very similar to male in colour, but apparently no blue on 

 dorsum of second abdominal segment. Appendages foliate, rather 

 broadly elliptical in outline, with pointed apex. 



(J , Abd. 40 + 5, hdiv. 43, pt. 5 mm. ^ , 38 + 4'5, 47, 5. 



The species has a very wide range over the whole African continent, 

 Asia to Turkestan and India and the islands of the Indian Ocean ; it 

 is found, at least casually, in Mediterranean Europe, and isolated 

 specimens have even been taken in the British Isles, in Belgium and 

 in Switzerland. Various records testify to it being a wanderer and 

 sometimes assembling in immense numbers. It is repeatedly found in 

 desert regions (as in Egypt and in oases of the Sahara). Its colour 

 system is strikingly desertic. The larva is as yet unknown. 

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