388 



ON THE GENUS CORDULEPIIYA. 

 By R. J. TiLLYARD, M.A., F.ES. 



(Plates xi.-xii.) 



The genus Curdulephya was first proposed and defined by de 

 Selys in liis "Synopsis des Cordulines," 1871,* for the reception 

 of the interesting little Australian species, C. pygmct^a Selys. In 

 that work he describes the male type only, from Melbourne. But, 

 in his "Additions au Synopsis des Cordulines," 1874,t the same 

 autlior adds a very short description of what is evidently a very 

 immature female, in the British Museum, also from Melbourne 



Later on, Mr. Billinghurst discovered this insect in consider- 

 able numbers on the Goulburn River, at Alexandra, Vic, and 

 sent a number to Europe. In 1905, when I began to study the 

 Australian Odonafa, this was one of the first insects which I took, 

 the locality being Otford, Illawarra district, N.S. W. It appeared 

 to be very rare there. But in 1907, very late in the season( April 

 and May), I found it in great numbers at Lily Vale, only two 

 miles from where I first took it. In the fi>llowing years, I traced 

 it to other localities, extending its range to the foot of the Blue 

 Mountains, and also obtaining the larva and studying its life- 

 history. 



In January, 1910, while collecting at Medlow, Blue Mountains, 

 I noticed several specimens of what I took to be this same insect. 

 As I had a large series, I did not trouble to secure any, until it 

 occurred to me that it was very peculiar that, at so great an 

 elevation, it shovild be out on tlie wing in January, whilst lower 



• Bull. Acad. Belgiquf. xxxi., 1871, p.315. 

 fibid. xxxvii., 1874, p.2-2. 



