wet after heavy rains and floods. The genus Palpopleura I
could only find represented by one species (.P.jucunda) around
Pretoria. Ant-lions also are somewhat scarce, frequenting the
open veld, and I never saw but one species of Palpares
(P. coffer) in the district of Pretoria, and, at all events, this is
the dominant and representative species. The time and
manner of appearance in the winged form of Termes angustatus
has already been described (ante, p. 49).
I received much assistance from Mr. W. F. Kirby in identifying
the species of Libellulinse, and Mr. R. McLachlan kindly
named two species of Ant-lions belonging to the collection.
N europtera-P lanipennia.
Fam. Myrmeleonim.
Palpares coffer, Burm. Pretoria.
Myrmeleon trivirgatus, Gerst. Zoutpansberg.
Creagris flavipennis, Burm. Pretoria.
P seudo-N europtera.
Fam. Termitid^e.
Termes angustatus, Ramh. Pretoria.
Termes, sp. ? Pretoria.
Fam. Libellulim.
Tramea basilaris, Ramb.
Palpopleura portia, Dru.
Palpopleura lucia, Dru.
Palpopleura jucunda, Ramh.
Sympetrum fonscolombii, Selys.
Trithemis dorsalis, Ramb.
Trithemis sanguinolenta, Burm.
Crocothemis erythraea, Brulle.
Orthetrum fascicolata, Ramb.
Orthetrum subfasciolata, Brauer.
Pretoria.
Zoutpansberg.
Durban, Natal.
Pretoria and Zoutpansberg.
Pretoria and Zoutpansberg.
Pretoria.
Pretoria and Zoutpansberg.
Pretoria and Zoutpansberg.
Pretoria.
Pretoria.
Subfam. jEschnin^e.
Anax mauricianus, Ramb. Pretoria.
ORTHOPTERA.
The vast plains of the Transvaal are peopled by myriads of
insects belonging to this order, and when the summer is
advanced it is impossible to walk across the veld without putting
on wing numbers of the smaller species of the Acridiidse,
particularly the widely distributed Acrida nasuta, and species of
the genera Paracinema and Catantops. It is this wealth of
orthopterous life that provides the food for so many birds, and
their disappearance at the dry season is also the principal
| reason of much bird migration in Southern Africa.
A few species are on the wing during the winter or dry
season, and the largest and most brilliant example of these is
Acridium rubellum, which also has the strongest flight of any
orthopteron I saw, and when on the wing may easily be mistaken
for a small bird. The, next prominent insect to appear
is Phymateus leprosus, which has a very sluggish flight, is
easily captured, and precedes its generic companion Phymateus
morbillosus. The most active and high-flying species of Phymateus
is P. squarrosus, which increases in numbers as the
summer progresses, when the varieties with the pronotum
concolorous and that with the margins red are both found
together. Another brilliant species which I found on the
barest and most sterile veld is (Edalus acutangulus, whose
blue and black wings make it very conspicuous during flight.
The vast swarms of Pachytylus migratoroides which visited the
Transvaal during my stay have already been recorded (ante,
p. 71), and in the Locustidse the peculiar habits of Clonia
wahlbergi and Hemisaga prcedatoria have also been described
(ante, pp. 83 & 65).
I am much indebted to Mons. Henri de Saussure for much
valuable assistance in the identification of the species 6f this
order.
Fam. Forficulidas.
Labidura riparia, Pall.
Labidura, sp. ?
Pretoria»
Pretoria»