718 A NEW SPECIES OF S AS SOPH LEBIA, 



Hob. — Bellinger River, at Never-Never (N.S.W.)- Emerged 

 October 30th, 1911. 



Type: Coll. Tillyard. 



A second larval skin, also 9, is slightly larger than the one 

 described. From the fact that both these larvce were females, and 

 that battered female imagines have been taken as late as January, 

 it is evident that the males of this species emerge first. It would 

 seem that, at Kuranda, the males of N. eludens begin to emerge at 

 a time (January), when only a few battered females of N. risi are 

 left, and these few have completed oviposition. The females of 

 N. eludens begin to come out a week or two later, and keep on the 

 wing until May. Intercrossing between the two species would, 

 therefore, appear to be quite impossible, apart from structural 

 differences. 



Those who are interested in the phylogeny of the LibeUulidcf, 

 will regard the discovery of the larva as of the utmost importance, 

 since it is the first larva of Group i, of the Libellulince to be 

 recorded. It is generally admitted that the Libelhdince are, on the 

 whole, caenogenetic from a more ancient Corduline stock. In so 

 far, then, as Group i. is claimed to be an assemblage of the most 

 archaic remnants of the early Libelbdincp,, we must look for Cor- 

 didine characters in our newly-found larva. But also, in so far as 

 Group i. may be regarded as asthenogenetically modified from the 

 original Libelluline stock, we may expect to find very distinct non- 

 Corduline characters, which may be similar to those of most Libel- 

 luline nymphs now existing, or might possibly be peculiar to the 

 genus. 



A satisfactory solution of this difficult problem requires a very 

 clear and definite knowledge of what are the truly Corduline, and 

 what the truly Libelluline characters of present-day nymphs. The 

 two groups are closely allied, and it is difficult to fix upon many 

 distinguishing characteristics. I regard the following as being the 

 most definite Corduline {i.e., archaic) characters of the nymphal 

 forms. 



(1) By far the most important, because it is found almost with- 

 out exception throughout the Corduliince sens, lata, is the greater 



