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616. 

 CORDULIA CURTISII. 



Order Neuroptera. Fam. Libellulidae. 



Type of the Genus, Libellula aenea Linn. 



CoRDULiA Leach., Curt. — Libellula Linn., Fab., Lat., Vand. Lind. 

 — TEschna Charp. 



Antennce very small, inserted close to the ocelli on the anterior- 

 margin of the eyes, 6-jointed, 2 basal joints stout and hairy, 

 1st the shortest and dUated anteriorly, 2nd elongate cyhndric, 

 the remainder forming a slender seta, 3rd joint longer than the 

 2nd, 4th not longer than the 1st, 5th as long as the 2nd, 6th 

 the longest (1). 



Labrum exserted, broad and short, the sides rounded and ciliated 

 as well as the anterior margin (2). 



Tongue ? large, inflated, broadest and hairy at the apex (*). 

 Mandibles broad, short and thick, the apex truncated obliquely, 

 and forming 5 short sharp teeth (3) , 



Maxillce with the stripes short, terminated by a homy falcate 

 lobe, dilated at the base and ciliated internally, with 6 elongated 

 curved acute teeth at and below the apex, and a thick linear 

 palpiform lobe outside, subfalcate and hairy externally (4). 

 Labium very large and convex, entirely covering the mouth and 

 concealing the trophi, excepting the labrum, trilobate, the late- 

 ral lobes very large, suborbicular, hairy, the internal margins 

 crossing, central lobe smaller, transverse and covering a portion 

 of the base of the others (5). 

 Head large, concave at the base : eyes very large meeting on the crown : 

 ocelli 3 ? in a cavity in front of a vesicle before the eyes. Thorax 

 large and ovate. Abdomen long cylindric or compressed, clavate, 

 narrowed towards the base in the male with 2 spines beneath the 2nd 

 joint and 4 appendages at the apex, the inferior ones furcate (6 (^),- 

 but these are absent in the female (6 ? ). Wings nearly equal, ex- 

 tended horizontally, very much reticulated, stigma elongated; infe- 

 rior wings with the anal angle acute in the male (9 (J). Legs 

 slender, anterior the shortest : thighs linear, serrated inside : tibiae 

 armed with a double row of spreading long spines : tarsi spiny, triar- 

 ticulate, basal joint short, 2nd and 3rd elongated : claws cleft near 

 the apex (8, afore tibia and tarsus). 

 Larvae and pupae aquatic, both furnished with legs for walking similar 

 to the imago. Roesel, v. 2. t. 5. f. 1. 



CuRTisii Dale in Loudon's Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. 7. p. 60. — Curt. 

 Guide, Gen. 726. 2. 



In the Cabinets of Mr. Dale and the Author. 



The Cordulige are distinguished by their uniform metallic 

 colour; they are separated from Libellula, to which they are 

 most allied, by the angulated anal margin of the inferior 



