VII. NOTES ON INDIAN DRAGONFLIES. 



By Major F. C. Fraser, I M.S. 



I. A Description of the Dimorphic Femai^es of 

 Rhodischnura nursei, Morton. 



Rhodischnura nursei, Morton. 



Ischnura nursei, Morton, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1907, pp. 306-307, pi* 

 xxiv, figs. 4, 5, 6. 



Dr. I^aidlaw in Rec. Ind. Mus., Vol. XVI (1919), has described 

 a female of Rhodischnura nursei, Morton, which differs entirely 

 from those which I have seen myself and which may therefore be 

 dimorphic forms. 



Dr. Laidlaw's female is of the normal type with enclosed 

 humeral bands, whilst the new females are firstly one of the normal 

 type with unenclosed bands, and secondly an andromorph and a 

 heteromorph. 



{i) Normal type with unenclosed humeral bands. 



Head. — I^abrum pale green with the base finely black ; post- 

 clypeus bronzed black ; frons pale green to just beyond the level 

 of the origin of the antennae. Vertex black bronze, no postocular 

 spots present. 



Prothorax black with a narrow collar anteriorly and the sides 

 low down, pale green. 



■Thorax pale green with a broad, dorsal, black bronze fascia. 

 No humeral bands but the sides of the thorax at this level with a 

 reddish brown tinge which fades imperceptibly into the pale green. 



Legs pale greenish yellow with black stripes on the extensor 

 surfaces of the femora. 



Abdomen pale greenish yellow, deepening to a brighter yellow 

 on the dorsum. Each segment with a very broad, dorsal, black 

 bronzed stripe with the exception of the first where the band is a 

 warm brown. On the loth the band does not reach the apical 

 end of the segment and there are pale green, apical rings to the 

 8th and 9th. 



Length of abdomen 16 mm., of the hind-wing 13 mm. 



Two specimens taken in cop at the Sewage Farm, Karachi, 

 Sind, 18-9-19. 



(ii) Andromorph form. 



Almost exactly similar to the male, differing in the following 

 particulars :— The black band crossing the vertex is narrower and 

 therefore displays a postocular space coloured yellow. The black 

 tends to encroach on this to partl}^ enclose a spot externally, which 

 is ochreous in colour. • 



