THE ENTOMOLOGIST 



Vol. XLIV.] AUGUST, 1911. [No. 579 



NOTES ON BRITISH ODONATA IN 1910. 



By W. J. Lucas, B.A., F.E.S. 



(Plate VII.) 



Though I was not able to identify the species, I caught a 

 glimpse of an Agrionid dragonfly in the New Forest on April 

 26th ; but in spite of the fact that the season opened thus early, 

 with the exception of Mr. G. T. Porritt's excursion to the Broads 

 in search of Agrion armatum, little of interest has come to 

 hand in connection with this order of insect during 1910. Mr. 

 Porritt tells me that he found the species plentiful at one of the 

 Broads and, if he had wished, could probably have secured a 

 hundred specimens. He took six on May 26th, three on May 

 27th, and about a dozen on May 28th, the sexes being captured 

 in about equal numbers. Unfortunately he did not discover the 

 headquarters till the 28th, and then had only one and a half 

 hours of sun, divided into two parts by a heavy storm ; but the 

 species was on that day quite abundant. The first captured was 

 a blue-marked specimen, and, curiously enough, Mr. Porritt does 

 not think he saw another, he therefore concludes it is a rare 

 form. This specimen was of as bright a blue as that of Agrion 

 puella, Ischnwra elegans, or Ergthromina naias. All the other 

 specimens had brilliant green markings, except three teneral 

 females (taken in cop. with adult males), which were very dingy. 

 There is no mistaking these A, armatum amongst the Agrion 

 pidchellum, A. puella, I. elegans, &c., with which they fly, their 

 green bodies, shining like emeralds, making the insects very con- 

 spicuous. This bright colour unfortunately disappears rapidly 

 as the dragonflies dry. Mr. Porritt found many dragonflies 

 about, though it was somewhat early in the season. He enume- 

 rates : — A. pidchellum, A. jmella, Vyrrhosomanymphula, E. naias, 

 I. elegans (abundant), Lihcllula quadrimaculata (in good force), 

 Brachytron pratense (common), Lihellida fulva (getting nicely 



ENTOM. — AUGUST, 1911. U 



