Lestes Leach.

Schmidt, E., 1951, The Odonata of Madagascar: Zygoptera- Only Lestes treatment, Memoires Institut scientifique Madagascar Serie A 6, pp. 115-280 : 115

Genus Lestes Leach.

Lestes Leach, 1815 , BREWSTER Edinb. Encycl. 9, p. 137.

Africalestes Kennedy, 1920 L‘, p. 84 (pallidum ‘l Bis, i. 1.).

BARNARD, 1937, p. 187 f. (critical notes).

According to the characters we recognize, the following Species Groups would be established

1. Dorsum metallic green or not in the ♀ and occasionally blue with prunescence in the ♂

a. ♂: Inferior appendages slightly shorter than the superiors. ~ ♀ Basal portion of ovipositor with a lateral projection: the holarc- tic. sponsa -Group with sponsa Hansem as genotype (teste KIRBY, 1890. Cat. Odon. p. 160) L. uncatus Kirby L. disjunctus Selys L. unguiculatus Hagen.

b. ♂: Inferior appeudages short. - « ♀ Basal portion of ovipositor without a lateral projection Mediterranean Group L. barbarus Fahr. , is the type 0 f the genus Lestes according to HAGEN, 1848, Ezıl. Zig. Stettin, 9, p. 147 f., this being evidently overlooked by KIRBY; L. vírens Champ. , (with 2 subspecies and L. sellatus Hag. ) L. macrostigma Eversm.

2. Body brownish yellow without metallic markings the tropical old world ochraceus Group with L. ochraceus Selys (Continental Africa) L. unicolor Mel.. (Madagascar) L. umbrinus Selys (S.E. Asia) L. íctcricas Gerst., (Continental Africa), L. paludosus Tillyard (Australia) .

In addition, the several N. American species which do not interest us here, and the S. African L. virgatus Burm. , belong to this group. KENNEDY made this latter species the genotype of his Africalestes , a name Synonyınous with Lestes nah., which BARNARD has already shown u he doubtful; Chalcolestes nolı., has nothing to do with L. virgatus .