922 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Tol. XXVI. 



Juvenile forms of this and annulata show surprising differences 

 when compared with the adults. The differences are not limited to colour 

 alone but also to shape, so much so, that for a long time I was in doubt as 

 to whether the teneral forms were not entirely different species Further 

 study and observations and by collecting a complete series ranging from 

 very teneral to adult forms has shown that they are one and the same 

 insect. 



The teneral form differs in the following particulars from the adult insect: — 



The eyes are brown above instead of blood red ; the face is bright yellow 

 with no trace of red or ochreous. 



Prothorax ochreous. Thorax pale greenish yellow or grey or almost 

 white, with the same marki gs as in the adult but offering a greater 

 ■contrast by reason of the pale ground colour and the total abfence of 

 pruinescence. The lateral black stripes are often incomplete but the black 

 outline of an " envelope " on the under surface of the abdomen, which is a 

 specific character of all tritheminse, is well defined. 



Legs black, the tibise striped outwardly with bright yellow. 



Wings with bright yellow reticulation instead of crimson ; the basal 

 marking of a paler tint and not as extensive as in adult aurora. Stigma 

 black. 



Abdomen much narrower and more sharply carinated on the dorsum. 

 There is usually some suggestion of the adult fusiform shape but in the 

 earliest stage, the abdomen has nearly parallel sides. Pale ochreous in 

 colour or with a reddish tinge according to age. The spots on the 9th and 

 10th segments are usually present but not as well marked as in the adult. 

 Anal appendages yellow. 



Female : head : eyes purple brown or fawn above, lilaceous or slaty tint 

 beneath. (The dark colouring in all species of Trithemis is present as a 

 sharply limited cap on the summit of the eyes), occiput black, spotted with 

 yellow behind or in young forms the occiput may be a golden brown ; 

 vesicle and clypeus ochreous or these and the labrum bright yellow, the 

 latter edged with black. Often there is a black streak on the upper 

 surface of the forehead. Labium olivaceous edged with black. 



Prothorax black with anterior and posterior, yellow collars more or less 

 in evidence. 



Thorax pale whitish green with the following markings : — an obscure, 

 pale brown stripe on the mid-dorsal carina, the latter itself finely yellow 

 and dividing this fascia into two ; a similarly coloured humeral fascia better 

 defined and three fine, black, lateral, oblique lines as in the male. 



Wings hyaline, the apices diffusely marked with brown for a variable 

 extent up to as far as the middle of the stigma. Stigma reddish brown 

 with black borders. Reticulation a bright yellow usually but may be 

 brown or nearly black. The basal spot about as extensive as the male but 

 a paler colour and the dark rays absent. 



Abdomen with parallel sides, nearly cylindrical, ochreous with black 

 markings which are variable in extent and may almost obscure the ground 

 colouring, the dorsal carina finely to broadly black, the borders similar. 

 The Ist, 2nd and 3rd segments are largely yellow, but this colour decreases 

 in extent as traced towards the anal end, until on the 9th and 10th it is 

 represented only by a subdorsal spot on each side of the middorsal carina. 

 On the first 8 segments there is a subdorsal black streak dividing the 

 yellow ground colour into inner and outer yellow spots. Beneath black, 

 with a lateral yellow spot on each segment except the last two. 



Teneral forms do not differ markedly from the adults, they are paler in 

 tint and the wings lack the brown apices. The abdomen is ochreous with 

 a blackish brown, interrupted, subdorsal line on the first 3 segments which 



