424 NEW AND RARE AUSTRALIAN AGRIONID.E, 



blue and bronze (again, compare Agrioii). Tlie great majority of 

 tlic species of Austroletftes have developed this l)lue and bron/.e 

 pattern to a remarkable degree, the only I'eal exception being 

 A. cingulatiis itself, in which the metallic green persists; though 

 in A. anal is the blue develops very late, and in the tropical 

 species it is usually replaced by grey or bhiish-grey. 



.3. The i-esult of this successful seizure, by Anstrulestes, of tlie 

 sphere originally occupied by the Australian members of the 

 legion A(/rion, has led to further intense asthenogenesis in the 

 latter group. Tlie result is that we find Agrion represented in 

 Australia by only one remaining species of that genus, and by a 

 large nuinl)er of species belonging to the more asthenogenetic 

 genera Pseiidagrioii, Ayriocnemis and allies. 



In connection with the (juestion of colour-patterns, 1 do not 

 think that we can claim that the metallic green pattern is more 

 archaic than the blue-bronze pattern. Each pattern seems to be 

 due to the formation of a given set of habits in a group. Species 

 that habitually hide away in green foliage seem to tlevelo]) the 

 metallic green pattern, (juite ajiart from whether they are archaic 

 or highly specialised forms. Take, for instance, Si/iiJfsfes and 

 Ilcmiphlebia. While, on the other hand, species that keep out in 

 the open, and prefer the full glare of the sun, tend to develop 

 blue patterns; e.g., Austrolestes, Agrluii, L^chimra and the sun- 

 loving Aufitrocnemis spleudida. Hei-ein, 1 think, lies the sole 

 e.\[)lanation of the persistence of the metallic green pattern in 

 Anstrolestns ciii.gn/afi(,i ifxi'Jf. This species is subalpine, inhabiting 

 riimdng sfreanis on mountains and highlands. It is i-ather fond 

 of hanging up in the i-eeds, just like Sijii/i'sfi'K /vi/f'rsl. Hut all 

 tiic blue-bronze species inhabit either stagnant pools or verv 

 slowly running creeks, and may be seen contituially Hying up and 

 dtiwn in the sunsihiiic. In the case (\i ^l usfj-o/rsfr's niia/ls, whose 

 favourite haunt is shady swamps, \\c find the hicolorous pattern 

 existing, but tlu; blue usuallv replaced by /liit/:: though T ha\e 

 noticed that where this s[)ecies lives in more open localitie.«i, as 

 along the banks of slow-running streanis, the mature males 

 become neaily as blue as those of A. tcda. 



