INSECTS 209
INSECTS
Dragonflies in 1949.—There has not been any publication dealing with
the Dragonflies of Essex for many years, apart from the report of the dis-
covery of Coenagrion scitulum Ramb. (1). In 1930 Mr. E. E. Syms, F.R.E.S.
(2) published a list of dragonflies taken by him in the neighbourhood of
Epping Forest during the preceding 15 years. This list detailed twenty
species with a report of one additional species recorded from the Forest.
In 1933 Mr. E. B. Pinniger, F.R.E.S. (3) published a review of the species
occurring in the Forest. He records at least twenty-two species. During
the next six years Mr. Pinniger published (4) under various titles a series of
notes on Dragonflies in which he gives reports of the occurrence of various
Odonata throughout the British Isles and including some notes on Essex
species chiefly from the S.W. part of the county. In 1949 Miss C. E. Long-
field, F.R.E.S. (5) commenced in the London Naturalist a series of
notes on the Dragonflies of the London area which in Essex covers that
part within twenty miles radius of St. Paul's Cathedral. The following
notes represent our combined observations during 1949. No attempt as
yet can be made to set forth the status and distribution of the various species
throughout the county. Changes in the occurrence of species and their
relative abundance are frequent and members are asked to record species
noted by them so that a complete account may be prepared. The species
recorded below total twenty-two. The nomenclature followed is that of
the Generic Names of British insects, Part two "Odonata" published by the
Royal Entomological Society of London, 1935, which lists twenty-one
genera and forty-three species as British.
Platycnemis pennipes (Pallas). The colony at Curtis Mill Green still
exists, var. lactea being the more common. (E.E.S.) The Roding was
searched for this species on July 16th but thundery weather kept the Dragon-
flies off the wing. (E.B.P.)
Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Sulzer). First seen on April 15th. (E.E.S.)
Seen commonly during the summer at Fairmead ; Strawberry Hill ; Cuckoo
Pits and Monk Wood. Noted at Benfleet, July 18th and 25th. (E.B.P.)
Seen at Stanford Rivers ; Margaretting and Ongar. (B.T.W.)
Ischnura elegans (Van der Linden). Seen commonly in Epping Forest
area, also near Parndon (River Stort) ; common at Benfleet on July 18th,
but not so frequent on July 25th. (E.B.P.) Seen at Hatfield Forest and on
Childerditch Common. (B.T.W.)
Enallagma cyathigerum (Charpentier). Seen commonly in the Forest
during the summer at ponds and bomb craters. Noted at Benfleet but not
commonly. (E.B.P.) Seen at Stanford Rivers ; Margaretting and Shelley.
(B.T.W.)
Coenagrion puella (Linnaeus). Common at ponds in Wanstead Park.
(E.E.S.) Common in Epping Forest also common at Benfleet on June 18th.
(E.B.P.) Seen at Shelley and Hatfield Forest. (B.T.W.)
C. scitulum (Rambur). Single female seen on June 18th in S.E. Essex ;
several males and two females seen on June 25th. Seen by other observers
on various dates from May to July. (E.B.P.)
Erythromma najas (Hansemann). Strawberry Hill Pond, Epping Forest,
July. (E.B.P.) Hatfield Forest. (B.T.W.)
Lestes sponsa (Hanse.). Benfleet, June, not common. (E.B.P.) Warley
Common. (E.E.S.) Epping Forest. (B.T.W.)
Lestes dryas (Kirby). Common on June 25th in S.E. Essex. (E.B.P.)
Agrion splendens (Harris). A few at Baldwins Pond, Epping Forest in
June ; Little Parndon, July. (E.B.P.) Abundant on the Roding, near
Shelley, July. Seen at Margaretting. (B.T.W.)
Brachytron pratense (Muller). One specimen, possibly this species,
seen at Benfleet. (E.B.P.)