The Odunata or Dracionflies of South Africa. 371 



An AX GEOEGius (Selys, 1872). 



This species is represented by the single male type in the Brussels 

 Museum (formerly Si'lysiau Collection), a very old specimen, bearing 

 besides other labels of later date an old label in de Sclys' hand — 

 " Vanderh. Timor r' ou Natal ? ." There are under the same collector's 

 (Vanderhoffen) name other South African, but also Malaysian and 

 Japanese insects in the collection. The home of this unique specimen 

 remains thus uncertain ; if I may venture a supposition, I would 

 rather locate it in Africa than in Malaysia, since it is something of a 

 reduced edition of A. irislis, though certainly a very distiuct species. 

 De Selys and K. Martin give somewhat summary descriptions. Martin 

 also a coloured figure of the entire insect and a very good figure of its 

 appendages. The following is a more detailed description of the type. 



(J (adult, rather badly discoloured, colours of living insect 

 possibly black and green as in trisfin). Labium and lahrum dull 

 orange. Face and frons anteriorly light green. Dorsal surface of 

 frous greenish, V)lackish Ijrown at base, this colour triangularly pro- 

 jecting, narrowly fused to a black line at the anterior ridge ; this 

 black line bordered by a light liluish-grey band. Thorax badly dis- 

 coloured, probal)ly light green in life ; latero-ventral sutures very 

 slightly lined with lirown. Light blue small sjwt at wing bases. 

 Legs black ; base of first femora ferruginous internally. 



Abdomen moderately inflated at base, much constricted in third 

 segment, very gradually dilated from end of third segment, broadest 

 at 8-9. Rather badly discoloured, markings not easily distinguished. 

 Segment 1 greenish laterally, reddish brown on dorsum, anterior half 

 depressed, posterior half gradually rising but not above the height of 

 segment '2, the elevated part densely covered with short ferruginous 

 hair. Segment H greenish with three laterally incomplete, tranverse 

 lilackish Ijands : behind a first transverse carina which projects 

 angularly hindward in mid-dorsal line, ou a second transverse carina 

 with a mid-dorsal dilatation, at posterior margin. Segment 3 black, 

 anterior half of sides whitish, this colour widened anteriorly and 

 narrowly ascending to mid-dorsal line at anterior end ; very small, 

 .'•ound, lateral dull ferruginous spots near posterior end. Segments 

 4-8 black, on each side two small, rounded dull ferruginous spots, 

 near anterior and near posterior end ; a third spot on segments 7-8 in 

 middle of length between a supplemeutary and latero ventral carina. 

 9-10 dark reddish brown (discoloured). Supplemeutary lateral 

 carinae distinct only on segments 7-9. Appendages dull ferruginous ; 

 lateral margin of the superior ones almost straight, bending rather 

 abrujitly near the end to the obtusely rounded apex ; median margin 



