JUAN VINAS— TENANTS OF B ROM ELI ADS 235 



Early on the morning of April 4 we noticed that one of our 

 bromeliadicolous dragonfly larvae collected on December 17 

 was climbing up out of its tumbler, which act, together 

 with certain recent changes in the coloring of parts of its 

 body, suggested that it was about to transform. The eyes, 

 the upper surface of the thorax and the tips of the wings had 

 become yellow and a yellow spot had appeared on the middle 

 of the under side of each abdominal segment, the rest of the 

 body remaining a dull brown or reddish-brown. The tumbler 

 contained a little water and a small bromeliad plant with 

 root and leaves entire, about 12 cm. high, gathered near 

 Cartago and replaced from time to time as it withered or 

 decayed, also a little stick on which the larvae might climb, 

 as an additional piece of furniture. This larva repeatedly 

 tried to climb up the smooth glass side of the tumbler, apply- 

 ing almost the whole under surface of its wet abdomen to 

 the glass. It would reach to a height of two or three inches 

 and then fall to the bottom of the tumbler but immedi- 

 ately begin climbing on the glass again, even though it 

 touched the stick or the bromeliad. We helped it then by 

 tilting the tumbler so that it reached the netting covering 

 the top and to this it clung with its legs. The netting with 

 the larva still clinging to it was pinned up so that we could 

 photograph the successive changes. The transformation 

 began at 8.15 A. M. and full size was attained by 10.46. 

 The adult dragonfly, a female Mecistogaster modestus, re- 

 mained on the netting until 1.53 P. M., then made its first 

 flight to the window, where it was captured and put into a 

 large paper bag or "cage" to perfect its colors. 



A second bromeliadicolous dragonfly larva transformed at 

 Cartago on the morning of April 6, beginning about 7.20, 

 and was similarly treated. From the two larvae we obtained 

 the practically complete series shown in the accompanying 

 illustrations. This larva transformed into a male Meets- 



