﻿526 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  PACHYDIPLAX 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  a 
  single 
  species. 
  

  

  Pachydiplax 
  longipennis 
  Burmeister 
  

  

  1839 
  Libellula 
  longipennis 
  Burmeister, 
  Handb. 
  eut. 
  2 
  : 
  850 
  

   1861 
  Mesothemis 
  longipennis 
  Hagen, 
  Synopsis 
  Neur. 
  N. 
  Am. 
  p. 
  173 
  

   1893 
  Pachydiplax 
  longipennis 
  Calvert, 
  Am. 
  ent. 
  soc. 
  Trans. 
  20 
  : 
  265 
  

   1895-97 
  Pachydiplax 
  longipennis 
  Calvert, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  ent. 
  soc. 
  Jour. 
  3 
  : 
  48 
  

   and 
  5 
  : 
  94 
  (listed 
  from 
  New 
  York, 
  Westchester 
  eo., 
  Ithaca' 
  and 
  Black- 
  

   rock) 
  

  

  1899 
  Pachydiplax 
  longipennis 
  Kellicott, 
  Odon. 
  Ohio, 
  p. 
  114 
  (descrip- 
  

  

  tion) 
  

  

  1900 
  Pachydiplax 
  longipennis 
  Williamson, 
  Dragon 
  flies 
  Ind. 
  p. 
  326 
  

  

  (description) 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  very 
  wide 
  distribution. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  recorded 
  

   from 
  most 
  regions 
  of 
  North 
  America, 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  Canadian, 
  from 
  

   Mexico, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  Bahama 
  islands, 
  and 
  last 
  summer 
  Dr 
  O. 
  S. 
  West- 
  

   cott, 
  stopping 
  to 
  visit 
  our 
  station 
  on 
  his 
  return 
  from 
  the 
  Bermuda 
  islands, 
  

   brought 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  specimens 
  collected 
  in 
  that 
  new 
  quarter. 
  The 
  

   species 
  was 
  not 
  observed 
  at 
  large 
  at 
  Saranac 
  Inn. 
  It 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  

   found 
  rather 
  generally 
  distributed 
  throughout 
  the 
  state 
  at 
  lower 
  alti- 
  

   tudes. 
  

  

  Imagos 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  are 
  swift 
  of 
  wing, 
  and 
  somewhat 
  difficult 
  to 
  

   capture 
  with 
  a 
  net. 
  The 
  males 
  hover 
  near 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  

   darting 
  hither 
  and 
  thither, 
  meeting 
  every 
  newcomer, 
  perching 
  on 
  a 
  twig 
  

   and 
  immediately 
  quitting 
  it 
  ; 
  and, 
  when 
  two 
  males 
  meet 
  in 
  combat, 
  they 
  

   have 
  the 
  curious 
  habit 
  of 
  darting 
  upward 
  together 
  into 
  the 
  air 
  and 
  flying 
  

   skyward, 
  often, 
  till 
  lost 
  from 
  view. 
  The 
  females 
  are 
  less 
  in 
  evidence. 
  

   They 
  rest 
  habitually, 
  except 
  when 
  foraging 
  or 
  ovipositing 
  on 
  trees 
  back 
  

   from 
  the 
  shore. 
  When 
  ovipositing 
  over 
  open 
  water, 
  they 
  have 
  a 
  curious 
  

   habit 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  observed 
  in 
  other 
  dragon 
  flies 
  : 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  rise 
  

   and 
  descend 
  again 
  between 
  strokes 
  of 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen 
  against 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  but 
  fly 
  along 
  horizontally 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  

   and 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  strike 
  downward 
  with 
  the 
  abdomen 
  alone, 
  pre- 
  

   sumably 
  washing 
  off 
  the 
  eggs. 
  In 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  vegetation, 
  however, 
  they 
  

   fly 
  down 
  and 
  up 
  again, 
  as 
  do 
  other 
  species. 
  

  

  The 
  nymphs 
  clamber 
  about 
  among 
  the 
  trash, 
  and, 
  when 
  grown, 
  trans- 
  

   form 
  within 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  of 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  if 
  suitable 
  place 
  be 
  

   found 
  so 
  near; 
  otherwise 
  they 
  may 
  go 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  several 
  feet. 
  They 
  

   are 
  smooth, 
  generally 
  of 
  dark 
  color, 
  with 
  little 
  pattern 
  of 
  color 
  showing, 
  

   except 
  in 
  the 
  transverse 
  banding 
  of 
  the 
  femora. 
  

  

  