Notes on the Genus Erythemis 13 



Carmelita is separated from all other species by its paler legs. It is sep- 

 arated from the less densely veined, very distinct and smaller credula by 

 venational characters indicated in the definition of the genus. With the 

 exception of simplicicollis and collocata, the species of Erythemis are very 

 distinct and it is difiicult to distinguish relationships within the genus. How- 

 ever, carmelita is probably more closely related to Jiaematogastra than to any 

 other species. Characters given in the key readily separate them. 



A List of the Species Recorded in this Paper, with Places and 



Dates of Capture^ 



The species are arranged alphabetically and numbered consecutively. 

 Following each locality under each species are numbers in parentheses indi- 

 cating the other species taken at the same place. For example, B. plebeja 

 Burmeister. Venezuela: Encontrados, (i, 5, 6), indicates that attala, mith- 

 ''oidcs, and pcruznana, in addition to plebeja, were taken at Encontrados. 



1. Erythemis attala Selys 5. Erythemis mithroidcs Brauer 



2. " carmelita Williamson 6. " peruviana Rambur 

 3- " credula Hagen 7. " plebeja Burmeister 

 4. " haematogastra Burmeister 



I. Erythemis attala Selys. Colombia: Fundacion, (4, 5, 6, 7), January 

 13, 1917; El Banco, (2, 4, 5, 6, 7), January 23 and 25, 1917. Venezuela: 

 Palma Sola, (5, 6, 7), March 8, 1920; Encontrados, (5, 6, 7), April 25, 1920. 



Attala is a widely distributed and therefore apparently a common species, 

 but I have never found it in great numbers at any particular habitat. In 

 fact, the total Colombia- Venezuela catch numbers only four males and three 

 females. However, Bates, as recorded by Ris, notes : "Dry woods at San- 

 tarem, very common, much more abundant than plebeja." As opposed to 

 my general statement tliat tropical species of the genus are probably on the 

 wing throughout the year is the fact that Hine and I failed to get attala at 

 Amatillan, Gualan, and Los Amates, in Guatemala, in January, 1905, while 

 I took it at the three localities in June, 1909. But available records show 

 attala on the wing somewhere every month in the year, except September, 

 November, and December, and there is no doubt it flies these months, too; 

 and our failure to find it in January in Guatemala was probal)ly due to its 

 relative scarcity and to its having deserted the permanent bodies of water 

 (where we did most of our collecting) to range about in the dry brush. 



1 For notes on localities, see: A Collecting Trip to Colombia, South America, by 

 E B. Williamson, Miscellaneous Publications, Univ. of Mich., Miis. of Zool., 'No. 3, 

 February 22, 1918; and Notes on the Habitats of Some Tropical Species of Hetaerina, 

 by E. B. Williamson, Occ. Papers, Univ. of Mich., Mus. of Zool., No. 130. 



Localities not discussed in these papers or in the description of E. carmelita 

 are briefly described at the end of this paper. The student may be interested to note 

 that at the following locations, described in Occasional Papers, No. 130, no species of 

 Erythemis have been recorded : Aroa, Boqueron, Cincinnati, Cristalina, La Fria, 

 Maraquita, Nirgua, San Esteban, and Tachira. 



