1911] Notes on African Myrmeleonidce 3 



Palpares Rambur. 



Of this genus there are about forty named species from 

 Africa; doubtless there are several more. They are the grandest 

 and most beautiful insects of the family, if not of the entire 

 Neuropteroid series. Their marking are however, variable, 

 as may be easily seen from even a small series of specimens. 



I have tabulated thirty-four of the species, but a few are 

 perhaps synonyms. 



Type — P. libelluloides. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Hind-wings black, except seven or eight small spots 2 



Hind-wings much more pale, only with dark bands 3 



2. Hind-wings very narrow, lanceolate karrooanus 



Hind-wings broad, not lanceolate voeltzkowi 



3. Fore-wings with a complete band across before middle 4 



Fore-wings without complete band before middle, outer margin of wings 



scarcely sinuate 6 



4. Outer margin of wings sinuate; very large species (Symmathetes) 5 



Outer margin of wings not sinuate, rather small species ovampoanus 



.3. Basal band of fore-wings reaches hind margin, apical spot divided; hind- 

 wings with the stigmal spot furcate in front, apical spot divided.. . .gigas 

 Basal band of fore-wings does not reach hind margin, apical spot not divided; 

 hind-wings with the stigmal spot not furcate in front, apical spot not 



divided, but emarginate mcestus 



0. A large dark spot over the cubitus in the hind wings 21 



Not more than a dot over the forking of cubitus, although a dark spot may be 

 near by 7 



7. Hind wings with complete bands 8 



Hind wings without complete bands 13 



8. Fore-wings densely reticulate with black, but leaving three clear yellow bands. 



flavofaciatus and genialis 

 Fore-wings without three clear yellow bands 9 



9. Median band with a projection toward the cubital fork, or else a separated 



spot near by, the stigmal band with an upward projection as well as one 



behind 10 



Not so marked ll 



10. Median band of hind-wings connected to the stigmal, and median has a pro- 



jection toward cubital fork latipennis 



Median band well separated from stigmal, and a spot near cubital fork sepa- 

 rate from the median band inclemens 



11. Median and stigmal bands of hind wings well separated insularis 



Median and stigmal bands connected or nearly so 12 



12. Apical spots of both wings divided so as to form an anterior and posterior 



apical streaks elegantulus 



Apical spots not so divided amitinus 



13. Wings with all small spots, no large ones; legs yellow sparsus 



Wings with some large spots 14 



14. Outer margin of both wings very narrowly black; no marks between median 



and stigmal spots in fore-wings 15 



Outer margin of wings with dots or spots; some marks between median and 



stigmal spots in the fore-wings Hi 



1.5. A black band below antennae aegrotus (tessellatus) 



No black band below antennas tigris 



16. Median spot of hind-wings not reaching one-half way across wing; in fore- 

 wings the median and stigmal spots are small 17 



Median spot of hind-wings reaches one-half way across wing 18 



