292 DRAGONFLIES OF NORTH AMERICA 
quarter of the suture is covered by a slightly broader black line than the 2nd 
quarter. A fine brown line on the third lateral suture. Abdomen mainly blue 
with reduced spots on 2; small apical rings on 3-6; most of 7; and slight lateral 
markings on 8-10, black. 
Female—Similar to the male except the black markings of the head and thorax 
are more reduced. Segments 3-6 of the abdomen have in addition to the apical 
black rings of the male, long semilateral postbasal dark stripes on either side 
of the pale dorsum, on 6 these may fuse with the apical black rings, but usually 
they do not. Dorsum of 7 mainly dark. Dark semilateral stripes on 8-9. Segment 
10 pale. 
276. Argia alberta Kennedy 
Kndy. 718, p. 257. 
Length 27 mm. Expanse 38 mm. Calif., Colo. and Utah 
This species simulates Argia sedula in color and appendages, but the penis 
show this to be more nearly related to the northern violacea group, while sedula 
is nearer translata and a large series of Mexican species. 
Male.—Head predominantly pale with black edging the postclypeus; a wide 
black bar through the paired ocelli; and a broad black stripe behind each post- 
ocular area. Prothorax black dorsally with a bluish spot on either side. Thorax 
predominantly pale. Dark middorsal stripe occupying one-third of the area 
between the humeral sutures. Humeral stripe about half as wide as the mid- 
dorsal, its upper third forked. A black stripe, 1 mm. wide, on the third lateral 
suture. Abdomen with segments 1-3 dull blue. Segment 1 with a baso-dorsal 
black spot. Segment 2 with a narrow apical band and lateral stripe black. Seg- 
ment 3 with the apical third and a lateral stripe black. Segments 4-7 with the 
apical third and the dorsum black, except a narrow basal band of blue, the sides 
bluish or brownish. Segments 8-10 pure pale blue the lower edges more or less 
blotched with black. 
Female.—Color as in the male, but with the blue of the head and thorax 
paler. Humeral stripe about half as wide as in the male, its branches linear. 
Abdomen pale with a narrow apical band on segments 2-6, an apical dorsal spot, 
a lateral stripe, and an oblique spot on the lower apical angle of the sides black. 
Segment 7 with the dorsal half or more black. Segments 8-9 with the dorso- 
lateral stripes of black. Segment 10 pale. In some females segment 6 is colored 
like 7. 
277. Argia apicalis (Say) 
Say ’39, p. 40: Mtk. Cat. p. 45: Wlsn. 12, p. 197: Garm. ’17, p. 508. 
Length 36-38 mm. Expanse 50 mm. Me., to N. C. and Ark. to N. Dak. 
Like violacea and tibialis this is a common species about shaded ponds and 
rivers. 
Male.—Colors blue and black. Head pale except for extended black areas 
surrounding the antennae, the ocelli, and the pale postocular area. Prothorax 
black except for the sides and a pair of large lateral spots on the median lobe. 
Thorax with the middorsal black stripe reduced to a mere hair line. The dorsal 
half of the mesinfraepisternum and the anterior fifth of the mesemiperon covered 
by a broad black band, remainder of the humeral stripe represented by a fine 
brown line on the humeral suture. Third lateral suture with a fine brown line. 
