GOMPHUS 105 
53. Gomphus cavillaris Needham 
Ndm. ’02, p. 276: Mtk. Cat. p. 82. 
Length 41 mm. Expanse 48 mm. N. C. and Fla. 
A small olivaceous species, obscurely striped with pale brown. Face and 
occiput olivaceous, with pale brownish cross-stripes on the sutures of the former, 
and with a touch of the same color on the outer corners of the latter. The thoracic 
stripes of the first pair are confluent across the ends of the carina, widened 
forward almost to the collar, and are almost confluent with the stripes of the 
second pair at both ends. Stripes 2 and 3 are of about equal width, and are 
separated by a pale line, more widely at the ends. Stripe 4 is complete but 
narrowed above. Stripe 5 complete, narrow, of uniform width. Wings hyaline, 
crossveins and stigma yellowish. Legs uniformly pale brownish, without color 
pattern. The middorsal pale stripe of the abdomen is broad on the middle 
segments, and on segments 7 to 10 it spreads laterally to cover the entire seg- 
ments. Appendages obscure yellowish brown. 
This species was observed by the senior author on Chipola Lake, 
west Florida, where it is very common. In that waste of drowned 
cypress trees the adults squat on floating logs most of the time. Often 
they will settle on the brail of a passing row boat. They make only 
yr SSF | 



cavillaris 
2 Pe SgU] 
short flights. They sit close with tail and wing tips touching their 
support. They do not startle easily and are not difficult to capture. A 
few were flushed from paths on shore in the more open places, and a few 
pairs were seen together among low shubbery. 
The nymphs clamber up the broad sides of mossy cypress stumps and 
leave their empty skins a foot or more above the surface of the 
water. 


