PSYCHE 
Vol. 62 December, 1955 No. 4 
A TERRESTRIAL DAMSELFLY NYMPH 
(MEGAPODAGRIONIDAE) FROM NEW CALEDONIA 1 
By Ruth Lippitt Willey 
Biological Laboratories, Harvard University 
Recently, a damselfly nymph of the family Megapoda- 
grionidae was found in the berlese funnel material of soil 
and leaf litter sent to the Museum of Comparative Zoology 
from Ciu, New Caledonia, by Dr. E. 0. Wilson. It is a 
rather young stage and cannot be placed definitely to genus. 
However, on the basis of the labium and the horizontal 
type of caudal gill, it seems reasonable to classify the 
nymph as one of the four known species of Megapoda- 
grionidae from New Caledonia: Argiolestes uniseries Ris, 
A. sarasini Ris, A. ochraceous Montrouzier, or Trineura- 
grion percostale Ris. Both Dr. Fraser and Dr. Lieftinck 
have kindly confirmed this supposition. Lieftinck writes 
that his extensive, unpublished notes and sketches of 
Megapodagrionid nymphs from Malaysia and New Guinea 
show a very close relationship with this New Caledonian 
form. 
The habitat in which the nymph was found is extremely 
unusual for an Odonate nymph, and is a strong factor in 
favor of treating this form as normally terrestrial. Dr. 
Wilson writes that “all soil and leaf litter samples were 
collected in dry to moderately moist (but never wet) spots 
on the forest floor, never less than 200 feet from the 
'Published with the aid of a grant from the Museum of Comparative 
Zoology at Harvard College. This study was supported by the Alice 
Freeman Palmer Fellowship, Wellesley College, 1954-55. 
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