362 MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS SYNTHEMIS, 



1. Metathemis guttata Selys (Plate v., fig.8) 



Synthemis guttata Selys, loc. ct7.,1871 and 1874. 



A full description of this insect, which is needed to supplement 

 de Selys' descriptions of fragmentary specimens, is here given: — 



^. Total length 45-50; abdomen 33-37; hindwing 29-32 mm. 



Wings: neuration black, open; pterostigma 2 5-2-8 mm.,, 

 black; memhranule 2 mm., grey -brown, no spots at wing-bases. 

 Head; eyes green in living insect; vertex black; front jet black, 

 with two large straw-coloured or creamy spots separated by a 

 very wide black band in median cleft; postclypeus black with a, 

 small spot at each side, anteclypeus creamy, or black with two 

 creamy spots, lahrutn and labium black, mouth touched below 

 with brown. Thorax: protho7-ax black; meso- and melathorax 

 very dark brown with dense hairs, dorsal ridge creamy, bordered 

 on each side by a broad black band, indistinct; on each side a 

 broad straight lateral band, entire, and a large patch low down, 

 both creamy or pale straw; jiotum black, crossed by the lateral 

 creamy band; scutella creamy; legs black, underside of proferaora 

 partly pale brown. Abdomen enlarged at 1-2 and 8-10 

 considerably. Colour black, marked with cream or pale straw as 

 follows: — 1, sometimes a triangular spot; 2, two small flat spots, 

 auricles creamy above; 3, two small basal spots, wide apart, two 

 central spots, oval, close together; 4-7, a pair of dorsal central 

 oval spots, very small on 6; 8 with a pair of larger central 

 spots, often pointed apically; 9-10 black. Appendages: 

 superior 1-5 mm, black, forcipate, with a small spine on outer 

 border one-third from base; slightly hairy; inferior nearly as longi 

 broad, subtruncate, slightly upcurved. (See Plate vii., figs. 11a 

 and b). 



<^. Considerably larger than male, abdomen 34, hindwing 36-38 

 mm. Wings sometimes suffused with blackish at bases, especially 

 along subcostal space; pterostigma 2*8-3 mm., black. Head 

 blacker than in male, with smaller spots. Thorax and abdomen 

 very dark, almost black; thoracic stripes broad and regular; 

 abdomen broader than in male, cylindrical, 9-10 slightly enlarged, 



