KELLICOTT. 25 



Argia violacea, Ha gen. 



Length: of abdomen d" 26, 9 25; of hind wing d" 20, 

 9 21. 



The color of the adult male is violet ornamented 

 with black as follows : antennae, dorsum of prothorax 

 in part, mid-dorsal and humeral stripes, the latter bifid 

 beneath the wings, the upper part of the first and 

 the whole of the second lateral sutures, stripes on 

 femora and tibiae, the sides of 2, apical lateral spots 

 extending as rings on 3-6, all of 7, the abdominal 

 appendages, the venter of the abdomen (widest on 

 8-10). The sides and venter of thorax, coxa and 

 greater part of legs pale. The pterostigma of both 

 sexes is light yellow or brown. Wings slightly fumose. 



The female has the violet lessv bright than the male, 

 the younger ones clay colored, the black on sides of 

 dorsum of 2-6 is in bands rather than spots leaving 

 basal rings, however, there is a mid-dorsal line on 7. 



In the males 10 is excised as in putrida but the 

 posterior angles are not knoblike but sharp. The 

 superior appendages are short, in profile the sides are 

 parallel and the apex rounded, from above they are 

 broader with apex obliquely truncated, beneath they 

 are excavated apically with a stout curved process at 

 the inner angle; the concavity contains a tuft of hairs. 

 The inferiors are much longer and deeper, bifid with the 

 upper, pointed, larger prong directed towards the 

 superiors; the lower, rounded one is directed down- 

 ward. 



The appendages of the female are pale, short, blunt 

 and the valves are also pale and serrate. 



The species is common along the borders of ditches 

 and streams. Oviposition takes place as in other 

 Argias — often in pairs, on submerged plants and 

 rubbish. It is every- where its proper habitat is found, 

 occuring in mid summer. 



