386 DIMORPHISM IN FEMALES OF AUSTRALIAN AGRIONID.F., 



arculus fixes them in the genus Agriocnemis, and their size and 

 general facies show that they cannot possibly be the females of 

 any but this, the largest of the genus. As the only specimens 

 of this insect known are the three males and three females in my 

 own collection, it is quite possible that an ordinary form of the 

 female may be found to exist when further captures are made. 

 The following is a description of the female : — 

 Form A. — (Not known). 



Form B. — Size variable. Total length 29-34 mm.; abdomen 

 22-26 mm.; forewing 18-20 mm.; hindwing 17-19 mm. 



Wings: Pierostigma lozenge-shaped, 08 mm., very pale 

 brownish, darkest at inferior angle. Nodal Indicator |2 8 

 Head: Epicranium velvety black, a broad transverse ]2 7 

 yellow band in front reaching to the eyes and enlarged so as to 

 enclose the postclypeus; ocelli pale, front one transparent. Post- 

 clypeus jet-black, anteclypeus yellow; labrv.m dull yellowish; 

 labium dirty straw-colour, Thorax: Prothorax black above, 

 yellowish on sides. Mesa- and metathorax rich orange, w ith a 

 broad black dorsal ray, narrowing somewhat anally. Legs, coxae, 

 and femora orange, rest dull blackish. Abdomen cylindrical, 

 1-2 and 8-9 slightly enlarged. Colour : 1 pale orange; 2 orange 

 with a large black dorsal mark shaped like a bishop's mitre, or 

 sometimes like an inverted goblet; 3-7 metallic bronzy-black, a 

 pale transverse yellowish line in the sutures; 8-9 black, with a 

 pale yellowish spot on each side; 10 black. Sides and underside 

 of abdomen j^ellowish. Appendages very short, separate, 

 conical, black. 



[For description of male, see these Proceedings for 1906 (p. 177) 

 " New Australian Species of the Family Agrionidse."] 



A. splendida Martin. — This is the commonest of the Australian 

 species of this genus, having been taken by myself at Atherton 

 in North Queensland, and also by Captain Billinghurst on the 

 Goulburn River at Alexandra (Vic). M. Rene Martin has 

 described the species, but owing to the colouration of the living 



