Fig. 4:35. Male of Mocromio magnified (Kennedy, 1915). 



sequal it . . . This species was found most commonly 

 i'over the water on calm days between the morning 

 hours of seven and ten. Few were found in the after- 

 noons or on windy days. The flight over the water 

 appeared to be controlled by the ovipositing females, 

 iwho resorted to the water to oviposit early in the 

 day in calm weather, where they were sought by the 

 males. As the females oviposited by striking the end 

 of the abdomen on the surface of the largest pools 

 only, this could not be done except when the surface 

 was smooth. At other times even until late twilight 

 ■(individuals of both sexes might be found patrolling 

 ^!glades and barnyards as much as a half mile from 

 "water. Here the flight varied from close over the 

 ground to as high as the trees ... In ovipositing the 

 B i female would fly several times back and forth over 

 l a short beat of forty or fifty feet, striking her abdomen 

 -•on the surface of the water at three to five foot inter- 

 nals. This beating back and forth generally lasted 

 until a male discovered her, when she would be taken 

 1 away in copulation. At such times the male swooped 

 \ and grasped the female's head with his feet, then 

 1 bending the abdomen forward and grasping the female's 



127 

 Smith and Pritchord: Odonata 



head with the abdominal appendages he would free 



his feet and she would bend her abdomen forward 

 and copulate. The copulator) flight was ordinarily 

 awa\ from water over the surrounding trees, bill ended 

 in a long period of copulation while resting on some 

 bush or tree. One pair, observed resting in copulation 

 for fifteen minutes, on being disturbed flew awaj 

 still in copulation." 



Kennedy (1915, pp. 318-:'.li>) also figures the nai 

 (fig. 4:36) which he found in a mass of fibrous alder 

 roots in a pool about three feet deep. 



M. pacifica is largely restricted to the Midwest, 

 and the California records of this species are doubt- 

 ful. M. maynifica can easih be separated from 1/. 

 pacifica by the yellow markings which broadl) cover 

 the upper surface of the vertex in M. magnified but 

 are restricted to the summit in M. pacifica. 



Subfamily CORDULIINAE 



This subfamily contains large, strong flying dragon- 

 flies often brilliantly colored with metallic green, 

 blue, or purple. The hairy, dark-colored naiads sprawl 

 on the bottom or climb through the bottom vegetation. 

 Of the nine genera in the United States only three 

 reach California. 



Fig. 4:36. Naiad of Mocromio mognifico (Kennedy, 1915). 



