THE ENTOMOLOGIST 



Vol. XXXIII.] MAY, 1900. [No. 444. 



DRAGONFLY SEASON OF 1899. 



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



Plate IV. 



Owing to the ungenial weather in April and May the dragon- 

 fly season, as in 1898, was late in commencing. In an early 

 year several species would be on the wing in the South of 

 England during the last week of April, but in normal years they 

 might be expected to appear during the first week of May, On 

 the 3rd of that month one or two nymph-skins of Pyrrhosoma 

 nymphula were certainly found on Esher Common in Surrey, but 

 no imagines were seen. At the same place, on May 7th, three 

 that had but lately emerged were observed, one being on the 

 wing. A single specimen of Enallagma cyathigeriim was also 

 found there on the 7th, which had so recently emerged that the 

 abdomen had not attained its full length. This latter species 

 was on the wing to some extent on Esher Common by May 13th. 

 At the same place, on May 14th, a Cordulia (cnea was captured in 

 the teneral condition, and on May 21st four specimens of Libelhda 

 quadrimaculata were taken in the same immature state. On the 

 23rd Ischnura elegans, Erythromma naias, Pyrrhosoma nymphida, 

 Agrion piiella, A. pidchelliim, and Calopteryx splendens were 

 obtained at the Byfleet Canal, but most of them were in the 

 teneral state. Indeed, though several species had been met with 

 the season cannot be said to have well commenced previous to 

 the summer weather that set in with the last few days of May. 



After that a normal state of affairs was soon attained, and so 

 favourable was the weather that by July some of the summer 

 species were perhaps a little before their time. Lestes sponsa 

 and Sympetrum striolatum were appearing on Ockham Common 

 by July 8th, and S. scoticum and .-Eschna gra)idis by the 15th ; 

 while Mr. Arkle found Leucorrhinia dubia over on July 21st at 



ENTOM. — MAY, 1900. N 



