50 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVII. 



diverging from the 4th and tending to become lost in the general reticula- 

 tion a short distance from the termen ; the 7th nervure at the distal end 

 of 7a, strongly approximated towards the 6th and bent abruptly towards 

 the termen ; loop long and narrow, made up oE 2 rows of cells none of which 

 are as a rule divided, its outer angle tending to become obliterated and 

 its midrib to become straightened. The inner border with a strong angle 

 from which a nervure descends and splits the anal area into a distinct 

 outer zone of large cells and an inner one of narrow, elongated ones. Mem- 

 brane moderately large. Stigma of forewing much larger than that of hind. 



Anal appendages very long and slender, in close apposition. 



Sexual organs : male : 2nd segment very small, the lamina projecting and 

 deeply fissured so that it appears to be made up of 2 lobes ; tentaculse 

 broad, depressed, the internal directed outwards, the external only present 

 as a rudimentary ridge on the internal ; lobe small, oval and depressed. 



Female : borders of 8th segment not dilated ; no distinct vulvar scale 

 formed on the 8th ventral plate, the free border of which projects as a 

 stunted, tongue-like process ; 9th ventral plate short, carinated, near its 

 middle 2 small, horn-like processes similar to those seen in Rhyothemis. 



Anal appendages in the female as long as those of the male. 



66. Pantala flavescens, Fabr. 

 Libellula flavescens, Fabr. 

 Libellula viridula, Palisot de Beauvais. 

 Libellula analis, Burm. 

 Libellula terminalis, Burm. 



Male and female very similar. Expanse 85 mm. Length 48 mm. 



Head rounded and relatively large ; eyes capped with bright red or 

 reddish brown, pale lilac blue at the sides and beneath ; vesicle and occiput 

 bright yellow or olivaceous ; face and forehead bright yellow, often with a 

 dash of bright red at the upper part of latter ; labium and labrum dark 

 yellow. 



Pro thorax ochreous. 



Thorax variable in colour, usually olivaceous or golden brown but some- 

 times a reddish orange, especially in wet season forms which are more 

 highly coloured. Laterally paler, bluish green or greenish white, no markings. 



Abdomen ochreous or yellow, suffused with red along the dorsum and on 

 the dorsum of the 8th, 9th and 10th segments, small black spots. Beneath 

 the first four segments, bluish green or whitish, the remainder dark yel- 

 lowish brown and all bearing lateral, black " f "-shaped marks. 



Superior anal appendages very long, as long as segments 9 and 10, 

 brownish or the basal part yellow 



The female is very similarly coloured but has no red on the face or ab- 

 domen and the eyes are olivaceous brown above. The abdomen is stouter 

 and without the constriction at the 3rd segment. 



Wings similar in the sexes but the basal spot paler and more diffuse in 

 the female. Hyaline with a pale yellow, basal spot in the hindwing extending 

 as far as the cubital nervure, inner border of the loop but not as a rule to 

 the termen. Very often the apices of the wings are a little smoky. Stigma 

 reddish brown. Membrane white. Legs ochreous streaked with black. 

 Sexual organs as for genus. 



Hab. Throughout India. P. flavescens occupies in the dragonfly world the 

 same position, which Cynthia cardui occupies in the lepidopterous, it being 

 a very cosmopolitan insect and found throughout the warmer zones of the 

 whole world. 



In Indian limits it is usually found to be gregarious and a swarm of a 

 hundred or more may often be seen dancing lazily iu the air. They prefer 

 open breezy situations and for no explicable reason, will often choose the 



