Contributions it I'etude de la faune entolllologique du Ruanda-Urundi (Mission P. BASILEWSKY 1953)

III. N europtera et

by Lt. Col. F. C. FRASER, 1. M. S., RETD. ( Bournernouth)

ORDER NEUROPTERA Family ASCALAPHIDAE

Helicomitus festivus (RAMBUR).

Bubo festivus RAMBUR, 18"12, Ins. Nevrop. : 356. A male from Kivu: Uvira, 23-III-1953; a female from Urundi : Rumonge, 7-III-19.53 and a male from Ruanda: Kinazi, 1.700 m, terr. Nyanza, 8-I-1953. The specimens are considerably larger than the type, probably on account of the higher altitude of the habitat. The species has a wide distribution from \Vest Africa to , the present habitat being near the centre of its distribution; the larger size therefore confirms the Reinigen Rule.

Disparomitus bacillus GERSTAECKER. A female from Ruanda: Shangugu, 6-IV-1953. A less widely distributed species than the last and confined largely to East Tropical Africa.

Family MANTISPIDAE

Mantispilla apicipennis KOLBE. 3 specimens from Ruanda: Kayove, 2.000 m, terr. Kisenyi, 14-II-1953.

Mantispilla usambarica ,\VESTWOOD.

2 females from Ruanda: Mahembe, 1.400 ill., terr. Nyanza, 13j15-II-1953.

Mantispilla sp. A badly shrivelled and teneral specimen which cannot be identified but is probably apicipennis. It is from Urundi (M02S0), 1.450 ill, Makoronkwe, 12-II1-53. Species be-

21

...\."';\;. IV[us. CONGO TERvURE;\" in-flO, ZooL, :36, 1955. longing to this family are more common than is generally suspected, as in my experience, they are most often taken in the {{ beating-tray}} and only found casually during collecting.

ORDER ODONATA

Suborder Zygoptera

Pseudagrion angolense SELYS. A pair of this beautiful species in a fine condition of preservation of colouring. Urundi (Mosso), 1.450 m, Makoronkwe, l2-II1-19531• Widely dis­ tributed throughout tropical Africa and exhibiting considerable differences in the shape of the male anal appendages, as Ris has pointed out. The colour scheme however shows but little variation and the broad blue apical ring on segment 2 is. unique in the genus, thus offering a ready clue to its deter­ mination. The antehumeral stripes may be orange or green and the sides of the thorax pure green. The abdomen is of unusual length and slenderness in this species.

Pseudagrion gigas RIS in SCHMIDT. A single female of this robust species from Ruanda: Rutovu, forest Ru­ gege, 2.350 m, 20/23-1-'1953. A rare species of which I have seen but few specimens received from Mr. E. PINHEY, .

Enal1agma nigridorsum SELYS. 1 incomplete male and 2 females from Urundi: Bururi, l.900 m, 19-III- 1953. Of wide distribution throughout Africa south of the Soudan.

Enallagma subfurcatum SELYS. The specimen is a female from the same locality as the last but it differs in its markings which are more like those of subfurcatum; it may however be a variety of nigridorsum.

Ischnura senegalensis (RAMBUR).

Agrion senegalense RAMBUR, 1842, 1. c. 276. 2 males of this common species which has a distribution extending from to the Philippines and from sealevel to altitudes of nearly 8.000'. The present specimens are from Kivu: Uvira, 23-II1-1953.

Agriocnemis exilis SELYS. I teneral male and 2 females from Ruanda: Mahembe, 1.40.0 m, 13/15- I-1953. None of the specimens has attained to the adult colouring and mark- ings and offer no poi.nts for discussion; the species is distributed widely throughout tropical Africa to Madagascar and from both of which latter places I have examined examples. It is best determined by the character of the male anal appendages.

Lestes virgatus BURMEISTER. A male from Ruanda: Kinazi, 1.700. m, terr. Nyanza, 8-1-1953. Occurs in localised colonies over a wide area of tropical and subtropical Africa.

Chlorocypha Basilewskyi, n. sp.

1 adult male, 1 ten-eral male and fi females from Urundi: Bururi, 1.8010~ 2.000 m, 5/12-II1-53, P. BASILEWSKY.

Male. Abdomen 2il.5 to 23 mm. Hindwing 21.5 to 23 mm. Head: labium black; labrum dark ochreous, as also front and dorsum of epistome (these parts broken and lost in the adult type where they would in all probability be black), vertex and frons velvety black marked with citron yellow as follows,- in the sub adult, a transverse oblong trapezoid on the frons made up of the confluence of four spots, 2 smaller ones on frons and 2 larger bordering the ocelli anteriorly, oval oblique spots on each side of the lateral ocelli \vhich are confluent with a triangular postocular spot and a transverse stripe on the occi.put. In the adult, these latter spots all discrete and the anterior pair of the frons absent, whilst the posterior pair are reduced to narrow translverse lines. Prothorax black with a narrow an­ terior collar of yellow, a broadly interrupted one on the posterior border of the posterior lobe and a very large spot on each side of the middle lobe, the latter confluent with the anterior collar. Thorax black marked with citron yellow, - the conventional fish-hook antehumeral marking of the genus broken up into three components, - a fine antehumeral line parallel with the middorsal carina. a semilunar oblique spot bordering the ante alar sinus and a broad angulated marking on the lower outer part of the dorsum; this latter spot continued posteriorly on to the mesopimeron for a short distance where also is a broad irregular posterior stripe bordering the posterolateral suture and a small linear hook-shaped spot on its upper part. Finally the greater part of the metepimeron. Viewed laterally, these lateral markings form a broken lateral fascia. Legs black, tibiae pale yellow on the flexor surface for about the proximal half or third. Wings hyaline, bases of all tinted vdth greenish yellow; pterostigma black; 10 antenodals to all wings; 16 to 17 postnodals; discoidal cells traversed once. Abdomen black beneath, bright brick-red on dorsum, the red bordered with citron yellow on segments I to 3, the intersegmental nodes narrowly black, segment 2 with a subdorsal transverse black stripe interrupted on middorsum and incomplete laterally \vhere its outer ends exhibit a vestigial extension basalwards. Anal appen­ dages black, of the conventional shape. Female. Abdomen 18 mm. Hindwing 24 mm,

23 A shorter, stouter than the male, with the yellow markings much more extensive and the abdomen with the ground-colour greenish yellow to golden yellow laterally. The markings on dorsum of head more extensive and largely confluent; the upper surface of epistome and frons almost en­ tirely yellow, the spots only separated by black sutural lines; there is also

C"hlorocj!p/w Basiic'lC's/?yi, sp. nov. a. Abdomen of male seen from above, b. Female, dorsal view, c. Abdomen of female seen from the right side, d. !Tlhorax (diagrammatic) of male to show markings, c. The same of the female, f. Head of male viewed from the dorsum, g. The sanie of a subadult male. h. Male anal appendages. Alacromia picta HAGEN in SELYS, male, m. Ahdomen seen from the right side. n. Thoraex:. rigfut side. a yellow stripe bordering the eyes which is confluent with the yellow genae anteriorly and with the postocular spots posteriorly. Prothorax similar to male save that the whole of the posterior lobe is bordered with yellow. The thorax with the conventional fish-hook markings complete and the whole of the sides yellow save for narrow sutural lines and inferior spots (Fig. a to g). Abdomen with a pair of small subdorsal subapical black spots on

24 segment 2, dorsal U-shaped black markings on segments 3 to 6 which are confluent with apical black annules; segments 7 and 8 with subdorsal paired black spots, 9 broadly black in its basal half but this marking interrupted on middorsum and continued to as far as the apical border low down on the sides. Segment 10' black at its extreme base. Anal appendages black. In teneral examples, the black markings are even more restricted and the U­ shaped spots on the abdomen are represented by paired apical spots or may be entirely absent.

This beClutiful ne,,, species stands nearest to ten'Uis LONGFlELIl and m,o~ lindica FRASER but is easily distinguished from both by the character of the head and dorsal thoracic yellow markings. The type, allotype and cotypes are in the Musee Royal du Congo BeIge, Tervuren.

Suborder Anisoptera

Anax imperator LEACH (= Anax mauricianus RAMBUR).

Two males and one female from Ruanda: Kagogo, 1.900 m, terr. Ruhen­ geri, 29-1-1953. The colours and markings of the specimens have largely faded from postmortem changes but such as can be seen are typical of impe­ rator, as also are the male anal appendages. I have compared examples from }iJurope with those from Africa, Madagascar and Mauritius (terra typica of mauricianus) and can find no sufficient differences to separate the two species.

Macromia picta ,sELYS.

A male from Kivu: Uvira, 27-XII-,] 953. The specimen is more than usually dark in colouring but otherwise is quite typical. There are apparently only two other records of this species from the Belgian Congo, although it is a common species in Kenya and .

Orthetrum caffrum (BUR1\[EISTER).

Two females from Ruanda: Kagogo, 1.90'0' m, terr. Ruhengeri, 29-I-1953, and Ruanda : Rukara, lac Mohasi, 1.40'0' m, 3/5-IT-I953. Both are newly emerged and the colour and markings not fully developed but the lateral white stripes are present on one of them and other characters agree. A com­ mon species in tropical Africa.

Orthetrum guineense RIS.

A single pair, the male from Ruanda: Kagogo and the female from Kivu: evira, 17-III-1953. One of the commonest Orthetrum found in the Belgian Congo. Orthetrum stemm ale capense CALVERT. One male of this extremely common african , from Ruanda Kinazi, 1.7'00 m, terr. Nyanza, 8 ... 1-1953.

Palpopleura lucia (\DRURY). A heteromorphic male from Kivu: Uvira, '27-XII-1'953; an andromorphic male from Ruanda: Kagogo, 2'9~I-1953 and a female from Urundi : Rumonge, 7-III-1953. Found throughout tropical Africa and Madagascar. After having examined some 2.000 specimens of this common Odonate, I have come to the conclusion that there is but a single species with polymorphic males.

Brachythemis leucosticta~BuRMElSTER). The commonest african dragonfly, represented here by 9 males and a female, from Ruanda: Rukara '(lac Mohasi), 1.300 m, 3/5~II-19513.

Trithemis stictica KARSCH. 19 females and a single male, all from Ruanda: Kagogo, 1.900 m, terr. Ruhengeri, 29~I-1953. The extraordinary ratio of females to males is dif­ ficult to explain, the obverse being the rule. Some of the most adult examples exhibit the yellow area found occupying the anal field of the hindwings and which is usually confined to the male sex. The species is obviously a local one as it is the only species of the genus represented in the present collection, many of the species being widespread and plentiful in all areas. Mor,eover I have not found many specimens among the thousands of specimens of Tri~ themis which I have examined from other parts of the Belgian Congo.

Tramea basilaris basilaris ~BURMEISTER). A single male from the same locality as the last species. 1 t is a migrant found throughout the greater part of Africa and represented in the Orient by ba.silari.s burmeisteri from which it differs only slightly. The basal mark­ ing of the hindwings varies somewhat and the two dark areas just meet in the present specimen enclosing the tinted but hyaline fenestration.

The collection as a whole is very representative of the region but can only form part of what must be a large fauna.

26 Bibliography of the Neuropterida

Bibliography of the Neuropterida Reference number (r#): 2400

Reference Citation: Fraser, F. C. 1955 [1955.??.??]. Contributions à l'étude de la faune entomologique du Ruanda-Urundi (Mission P. Basilewsky 1953). III. Neuroptera et Odonata. Annales du Musée Royal du Congo Belge (Serie in-8º, Sciences) (Zoologiques)36:21-26.

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