Dragonflies collected in southern Spain in March

The discovery of Ischnura graellsi Ramb. on wings in southern Spain in March (cf. J. BELLE, 1979, Notul. odonatol. I: 46) was the incentive to undertake two further collecting trips in Andalusia (the Andalusian name for a dragonfly is ”arono”). one at the Costa del Sol on March 19 and 22, 1979, and one in the Delta of the Guadalquivir on March 26 and 27, 1979. The days before and after these data were marked by unsettled weather. (A) Costa del Sol. The following three species were collected at the Rio Verde near Marbella (prov. Malaga); Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis (Vander L.), many d and 9, most of them teneral. Two features of these specimens struck me on comparison with the specimens formerly (1976) collected in the South of France by me: (I) the black tibiae, pale in my specimens from France; — (2) the well-developed (equal) colour pattern of the pterothorax in both sexes, the pterothorax of my males from France being normally entirely black. — Ischnura graellsi, several d and 9, all teneral. — Sympetrum fonscolombei Sel., I 9 (young).