Thi> Odonafa or Dragonflies of South Africa. 



277 



end of the suture. Sides black at the hvimeral aud second lateral 

 sutures, yellow isli on anterior half of mesepisternum aud posterior 

 half of metepimeron, the black bands being considerably broader than 

 the yellowish ones. Ventral side yellowish ; narrow black lines along 

 the anterior lialf of the lateral margins of metasterna, not reaching 

 to the median ventral suture. Legs yellowish, largely lined with black 

 as in the two preceding species. 



Abdomen dorsally black, a dark metallic lustre gradually vanishing 

 towards the end ; the merest trace of a mid-dorsal yellowish line on 

 the basal segment. Sides yellowish, this colour ascending to form 

 very narrow, incomplete basal rings ; ante-apical dilatation of dorsal 

 black colour very slight. Appendages black (Te.\t-fig. 13). 



Fio. 13. — Lestes plagiatus, f . Waterval. Appendages, riijht side and 

 dorsal view. 



The thoracic pattern is liable to be still more obscured in some 

 very mature specimens (as shown liy specimens from Zambesi and 

 Salisbury). The thorax becomes black, the ventral side included, 

 only a very narrow line on the median suture, narrow juxtahumeral 

 and metepisterual bands remaining yellowish or olivaceous. Immature 

 males are almost exactly like the females in colour and pattern. 



9 . Labrum ferruginous. Dorsal surface of head dark brown. 

 Prothorax and thoracic dorsum ferruginous, more ochre yellow in 

 very mature specimens. Two narrow mesepisternal stripes, bright 

 metallic green in younger, blackish in more mature specimens ; the 

 stripes narrower than in L. vircjaliis, and considerably nearer to the 

 median than to the humeral suture. 

 18 



