1922 ] F. C. FrasER : Odonata from the Nilgiris. 3 



Unlike /. gomphoides it does not appear much before the onset 

 of the monsoon in June and from that time onwards during the 

 r;u*ns, gradually increases in number. I have never found the two 

 species in company and they are certainly quite distinct. The type 

 described by Selys is presumably in the McLachlan collection but 

 I cannot sa}' for certain as I omitted to take the measurements 

 when examining the collection in 1920. 



In males taken at an elevation of 3000ft., abdominal segments 

 8 and 9 show an almost constant invasion of the blue by the black 

 ground colour from the base. This latter colour projects into the 

 blue as a subdorsal streak on each side and limits it also laterally 

 so that on each segment an inverted blue " T " is formed. In 

 all other respects these specimens agree with Indoneura ramburt 

 so that they are probably not more than a local variety of it. 



Type in my own collection, paratypes in British and Indian 

 Museums 



Phylloneura westermanni (Selys). 



Alloneitra westermanni, Bull. Araii. Belg.(2)X, p. 447(1860); Disparo- 

 neura westermanni, Selys, Mem. Cony. XXXVIII, p. 171 (1886); 

 f.aidlaw, Rec. hid. Mus. XIII, p. 347 (igi 7). 



Male. Abdomen 51 mm. Hindwing 38 mm. 



This insect has been lost sight of for many years and some 

 doubt exists as to what genus the insect really belonged to. Re- 

 cently I have secured twelve male specimens of a dragonfly from 

 nearGudalur, Nilgiris, 4500ft., 26^*1921, which fit the description 

 and measurements given for P. westermanni so exactly that there 

 can be no doubt but that they belong to that species. 



The colouring is closely similar to that of J. gomphoides so 

 that the two insects are apt to be mistaken for one another when 

 resting or on the wing and I fell into this error when I took the 

 first specimen of P. westermanni and imagined that I had taken a 

 particularly fine and large specimen of J. gomphoides. The former 

 insect is, however, very much larger and the blue on the abdom- 

 inal segments more extensive, covering the apical half of the 7th 

 segment as well as the whole of the 8th to 10th. 



The venation of the wing is irregular and is of interest in 

 that it shows well-marked traces of a transitional reduction 

 from a complex to a simple form of venation. Rudiments of 

 intercalated sectors are found in the wings of many specimens 

 and the straightening out of a zig-zagged M 2 is well illustrated. 



P. westermanni is even more primitive than Indoneura and is 

 not congeneric with the latter as Dr. Laidlaw had surmised ; I 

 have therefore placed it in a genus of its own. On the contrary 

 it is more closely allied to Disparoneura, as ab extends outwards 

 as far as Cn^a which it joins, as in all species of the latter genus. 

 It thus differs markedly from Indoneura in which ab curves down- 

 ward to meet the posterior margin of the wing so as to enclose 

 a marginal cell. The primitive nature of the venation, however, 

 separates it from Disparoneura as sharply as the same feature 

 separates Indoneura from typical Caconeura. 



