Fredaccous Insects and their Prey 401 



In addition to the above records W. L. Distant quotes 

 the observation, made at Candahar, that Cicadas formed 

 the prey of Dragonflies.* 



Looking at the above Hst the most striking fact is the 

 great variety of the prey and the marked mckision of 

 specially protected forms. The latter are as follows: — 

 Limnas chrysippus, two common wasps (2 species) and three 

 beetles belonging to distasteful groups, a Malacoderm, a 

 Coccinellid, and a Galerucid. Thus specially protected 

 species make up more than one-third of the 16 recorded 

 captures, and include the whole of the Coleopterous 

 victims. It is also of much interest to observe that a 

 single species of Dragonfly, Cordulegastcr annulatus, was 

 responsible for both the wasps (Nos. 312, 315), and the 

 Malacoderm (No. 31-i). The remaining victim of this 

 species was a Tabanid fly (No. 318.) 



As regards the ten species of prey which do not appear 

 to belong to specially protected groups, we find 3 Diptera 

 (1 Syrphid, 1 Tabanid, and 1 Mucoid), 3 Lepidoptera 

 (1 ? Lycsenid, 1 Hesperid, and 1 Crambid), 4 Neuroptera 

 (1 Ephemerid, 2 Odonata, and a Termite). Of the latter 

 three specimens are only counted as one, inasmuch as 

 the actual attack on these three victims was not witnessed 

 and the number of individual foes is therefore unknown. 

 Many Dragonflies, flying high, were seen attacking large 

 numbers of Termites, It was of course impossible to 

 determine whether these particular Termites had been 

 seized by one, two, or three of their enemies. 



The inclusion of 2 Dragonflies (Nos. 311, 316) among 

 the prey shows that the attacks of Odonates, as in the 

 case of so many other predaceous insects, do not altogether 

 tend to the destruction of insect life ; for here the preda- 

 ceous forms themselves are the victims. The same con- 

 siderations are suggested by the two species of Ves^m 

 devoured by Gordulcgaster annidatus. 



Short as it is, the list is extremely interesting, and 

 raises tlie expectation that Dragonflies will be found to 

 prey rather largely upon specially defended groups of 

 insects. 



* "Insecta Transvaaliensia," vii, 1906, pp. 169, 170. 



