SOME FEATURES OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN 

 ODONATA AS A FAUNA. 



By Stephen Gottheil Rich, M.A., B.Sc. 



(Received for publication, November 7, 1918.) 



A remarkable feature of the South African Odonata is their 

 uniformity throughout cHmatic and habitational differences. For 

 example, the following species are known, according to informa- 

 tion at my command, from both fast and slow streams, from the 

 Natal Coast, the Karroo, the High Veld, and the Cape (" Old 

 Colony ") :— 



Orthetrum chrysostigma, var. capensis. 

 Trithemis anmilata. 

 Paiitala flavescens. 

 Mcsogomphiis cognatiis. 



Several other species are known from all of these, save, 

 apparently, the Karroo : — 



Palpopleura liicia. 



Paipopleiira lucia, var. portia. 



Anax rutherfordi. 



Anax impcrator, var. manricianus. 



What is most remarkable is the almost entire absence of 

 species limited by elevation or lowness of land. The two species 

 of the genus Chlorolestes, thus far unrecorded below the limit of 

 3,000 feet, are the sole exception thus far noted by me. 



This distribution is the more remarkable because of its 

 sharp contrast with the specialised distribution of the species of 

 Odonata in Europe and Eastern North America. 



A second feature of interest is the fact that although many 

 of our genera extend in range outside the Ethiopian region, very 

 few of our species or varieties do so. 



Only two species known here extend thus : Syimpetritm fons- 

 colombei extends into Flanders and Germany, and Pantala 

 flavescens is found in all parts of the world save Europe. 

 These, coupled with Anax impcrator, of which we have the 

 variety uiauricianns, and Europe has the species proper, are the 

 sole exceptions. 



The genus Orthetriim, represented by seven known species 

 and varieties in the sub-continent, illustrates the typical distribu- 

 tion. This genus extends throughout most of the Eastern Hemi- 

 sphere, and its individuals are plentiful nearly everywhere. Of 

 our seven representatives, three are East African forms, two are 

 distinctively South African varieties of species found throughout 

 all Africa south of the Sudan, and only one extends in its range 

 to the Mediterranean Sea (O. trinacria). 



