Dragon Flies of the Genus Zonophora with special reference to its Surinam representatives

The genus Zonophora, established by DE SELYS (Bull. Acad. Belg. (2) 21, p. 80) in 1854 for BURMEISTER’S Diastatomma campanulata from Brazil, is represented in Surinam by two species only: Z. batesi Selys 1869 and Z. calippus Selys 1869. Both species had already been reported as occurring in Surinam, and have again been collected in this country during my researches since 1955. The species Z. surinamensis NEEDHAM (Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 69, 1944, p. 219) was collected in Brazil (Matapaoni), close to the border of Surinam, and may for this reason be encountered in Surinam as well. In 1941 Dr. E. SCHMIDT (D. Entom. Ztschr., p. 76—96) published his “Revision der Gattung Zonophora Selys,” which contained the then known members of the genus Zonophora. However, his treatise was written without examination of the original type specimens; hence, in order to acquire a sounder basis for my study of the subject, I took the opportunity of investigating the original material during my leave in Europe in 1961. In the following pages I present a general view of my explorations, which have been founded chiefly on the material mentioned below, as well as on that from Surinam.