The Odonata or DnKjonfltcs of ,SW/// Africa. 403 



pruinose blue in male, ochreous with three longitudinal black lines in 

 female. $, Aid. 13, lithe. 113, pt. 2 mm. to lf>, 19, 2"o. ? , 13, 18, 2-5. 



P, jucunda. 



Larger species. Legs black, first femora yellowish internally. Infrac- 

 tion in costal vein not so deep as in other species. Males with a radiate 

 pattern of deep black ; in front wing stripe in sc to Gth-8th Any, stripe 

 in space between M 13 and M 4 to distal end of t, large spot of about 

 four cells at nodus ; in hind wing only a small sub costal stripe to Anq 2 ; 

 costal space of front wings yellowish to tip, this colour deeper in post- 

 nodal part. Females with similar pattern of black, but reduced in all 

 its components. Dorsum of abdomen pruinose blue in male, olivaceous, 

 with three longitudinal black lines in females. $ , Abd. 19, /ic?ir. '26, pt. 

 3 mm. ? , 19, 27, 4 .... .P. deceptor. 



PALPOPLEURA LUCIA (Drury, 1773). 



S. Afr. Mus. : 5 cf, 2 9,Lorenco Marques (7, 20 . v, 26 . ix, 3.x, 



I . vii . 1911) ; 2 cJ, 3 ? , M'Fongosi, Zululand (ii, iii, iv . 1911, W. E. 

 Jones). Coll. Ris: 11 , 9 ? , Lorenco Marques (6.xi.l910; 

 17, 18. i, 10. ii, 11, 14, 24 . iii, 5, 7, 11. v. 1911); 4 9 , Rikatla, 

 Delagoa Bay (iii, iv, 17.iv, 10. v. 191 4, H. Junod). Coll. E. B. 

 Williamson : 5 <J , 1 9 , Natal (G-. F. Leigh) ; 2^,1 ? , Priucetowu, 

 Natal (7, 14 . ii . 1909, 21. ii. 1910, id)- 1 <J , woodside off Umbila 

 Eoad, Congella (20 . x . ] 904, id) ; 1 $ , Hilton Eoad (23 . ii . 1909, id.). 



J port la : S. Afr. Mus. : 9 , M'Fongosi, Zululand (ii, iii, iv . 1911, 

 W. E. Jones). 1 g, Otavi, S.W. Africa (i . 1920, Lightfoot). Coll. 

 E. B. Williamson : 11 , Princetown, Natal (12 . xii . 1908 ; 7, 18 . ii, 



II . iii . 1909 ; 24 . ii . 1910, G. F. Leigh). 



The port la forms were first introduced by the writer as male varieties ; 

 formerly purtta had been considered as a distinct species. The reasons 

 why this view was abandoned were chiefly given by the existence of 

 intermediate forms, which, though rather scarce in collections from 

 various parts of Africa, intergrade almost completely between extreme 

 lucia and extreme port la pattern. Nevertheless the question still 

 remains open ; it cannot be resolved in museums but only by exact 

 observations in the field. Females also intergrade between forms 

 with very little yellow at base of wings and extremes with both wings 

 deep golden yellow to distal limits of dark pattern. The deeper- 

 coloured females are apparently more often associated Avith lucia 

 males, the lighter ones with theportia form. But there are exceptions, 

 and a clear separation is still more difficult for females than for males. 

 Geographically it might appear that lucia is more the form of low 

 levels and very hot districts, port la of the opposite conditions, but 



