358 



THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



THE NYMPH OF GOMPHUS FURCIFER, HAGEN. 



BY E. M. WALKER, B. A., M. B., TORONTO. 



On the 1 8th of Jane, 1904, while collecting dragon-fly nymphs in 

 Grenadier Pond, Toronto, I found two Gomplius exuvise resting on the 

 surface of a thick growth of algae a it'N feet from the edge of the pond. 1 

 examined the debris and black swamp mud from the bottom, just below 

 the spot where the skins were taken, and found one nymph about two- 

 thirds grown, apparently of the same species. On June 2oih I found 

 another exuvia on a similar part of the shore, and on examining the 

 bottom I found several half-grown nymphs and one full-grown one, which 

 was crawling along the surface of the algaj, evidently ready to transform. 

 In the evening a male Gomphus furcifer emerged. 



.Since then 1 have taken several half-grown nymphs, but as the season 

 for transformation was apparently over I got no more mature ones. All 

 of the nymphs were found in the surface mud, at a depth of about one or 

 two feel of water, the shore being low and marshy. I have kept one of 

 the nymphs alive ever since. 



The imagoes of GompJuis fjucifer are not rarely taken in the country 

 surrounding Grenadier Pond, and I have one female from De Grassi Pt., 

 Lake Simcoe. It lias always been considered an uncommon species, and 

 the nymph was hitherto unknown. 



Nymph of Gomphus furcifer (Figs. 11 

 and 12). 



Body elongate, depressed, covered with 

 minute dense brownish scurfy pubescence; 

 the legs very sprawling. Abdomen 

 lanceolate, broadest at the fourth seg- 

 ment, the lateral margins as far as the 

 apex of segment 8 regularly convex : 

 segments 9 and 10 very long and narrow, 

 together equal in length to segments 6, 7 

 and 8. .Segment 8 nearly twice as broad 

 at base as at apex, about two-thirds as 



Segments 9 about 

 about as long as 



I'lCi. II. — Nyiiipli i)'i (rompliK.s furci/ei: 

 (Enlarged i V, diameters.) 



long as segment 9. 



three-fifths as broad at apex as at base 

 .'^egment 10 with the appendages. 



.Segment 



10 



throughout. 



equal in breadth 

 Small lateral spines are present on segments 8 and 



