INDIAN DRAG ON FLIES. 



149 



A row of greenish-yellow spots on the tergum, an anterior pair followed 

 by 3 in line from, before back. 



Abdomen : a rich warm brown with a fine mid-dorsal, black line edged 

 narrowly on either side by bright greenish-yellow, broadest on the Ist and 

 'ind segments. This yellow again outwardly edged by a diffuse, black line. 

 The lateral borders edged very narrowly with black, with, in the 1st 

 and 2nd segments a greenish-yellow stripe. The final 3 segments almost 

 entirely black. 



lu juvenile specimens of the male and in a brood appearing towards the 

 end of the S.W. monsoon in Malabar and the Western Ghats, the mark- 

 ings are almost the same in the two sexes. The thorax markings in the 

 male are in old and dry season forms almost or entirely obsolete and all 

 grades are met with from the latter up to specimens as richly marked 

 and coloured as the females. 



Genital organs of the male ; lamina projecting and rather broadly, 

 arched, furnished with stout vibrissse on its inner surface ; tentaculee 

 large, the external segment projecting outwards over the lobe, the inner 

 segment bearing a long chitinous hook ; lobe smaller than usual, not as tall 

 as the tentacuhe, lined internally with stifl' vibrissse. 



(xenital organs of the female : specific in character ; vulvar scale small, 

 lateral borders of the 8th abdominal segment not dilated, 9th ventral 

 plate prolonged back beyond the anal end of the abdomen and ending in two 

 curling laminee which are thickly beset with short, stiff bristles. This 

 projecting organ is easily visible to the naked eye and sufficiently specific 

 in character as to determine the species from any other. 



Hab. The moister areas of India generally, Bombay and Poona. 



A rather shy and retiring insect, usually keeping to the shelter of thick 

 jungle and with habits somewhat similar to Potomarcha, often collecting in 

 large numbers on the bare branches of trees. 1 have never seen it visiting 

 water. 



Genus — Libeiltjla. 



Fig, 



23. — Wings of Libellula quadrimaculata (x2). 



Libellula, Rambur. 



Head moderately large ; eyes broadly contiguous ; forehead broad and 

 projecting, but a little variable in the species, anterior border indistinct 

 or moderately sharp ; suture deep ; vesicle a little notched or rounded. 



Prothorax lobe small, slightly arched, entire or with a small notch. 



Thorax very robust. 



