RI-:SfMk.\T()RY Riari'M ()l< the NYMIMI ()\' 

 Mli S ( ) (; M Pin S ( ( ) D( ) N .\ T A ) . 



By Stki'iii:i\ (Iottjikil Rrcii. ALA. 



iJJ'ltli r if/lit text fif/itrcs.) 



AIcso(/o)iif'liiis, represented l)y two s])ecies and a lar^e niim- 

 her of indi\iduals, is a familiar draji^onfly of South Afriea. The 

 aduh is a medium-sized orreen and black dragonfly, with clear 

 \vin,2^s. It is not to be confused with Hcmianax and Acshna, 

 the larger qrecn draq'onflies that are rarely seen to alisi'ht. 

 Mcso(jouipliits, like all CicmiphiiKe which I have observed, is \erv 

 much t^iven to the hal)it of resting on warm rocks in the sun. 

 The males are at once recognizable from all other dragonflies l)v 

 the enlarged terminal i)ortion of the slim abdomen. 



The nymph of this genus is, .so far as I can tell, unde- 

 scribed. My specimens are taken from a part of the Amanzim- 

 toti river in Natal, in which the only adult Gomphinje found are 

 the twii sj)ecies (vf M csof/oinf^hus. The nym]')h runs out accord- 



J-it-. I. 

 (Lal)ium extt-iuk-d. ) 

 A. Antcun.'V' 

 L. Labium. 



J.ai)ii:i' 



uig to the key> 

 .\ortli American 

 Oph'iOijoinf^luis. 



f 



or 



of Xeedham, 1901. and Rous-eau, k^ck;, 

 and luiropean species in thi-> >ub-familv to 

 This genu>. ho\ve\er. is not known in tin- 

 h'thiojiian region. ])Ut is in adult characters the closest i<i Mcso- 

 (/cxuphus. 1 have therefore no hesitation in identif\'ing thi> 

 nvmph without waiting for bred s])ecimens to mature. 



Like all (]omi)hina\ this flat nym])h is a burrower in sandy 

 or muddy bottoms. It there lies in wait for ]M'ey, only its anal 

 breathing \alve and the tips oif the eves and antenucC in view. 

 It catches its prey, like all Odonate nvmf)hs. by shooting; out the 

 long, jointed, arm-like labitnn. 



In 1914 and 1913 the i)resent writer studied the res[)iratory 

 organs of 21 genera of Odonata re])resented in North iVmerica, 

 including the genera LaiitJius, Couifihus. and Ophiof/oiiiphiis. 

 closely allied to Mcsogoiiipliiis. In a ])reviotis i)aper* J have 

 published a brief summary of my results so far as they apply to 

 our South African genera of Odonata. In that article I added to 



* Rc'pt. .S.A. .\ssoc. for Adv. of ScioHoe. Maritzhurg (1916L 600-60J. 



