106 DRAGONFLIES OF NORTH AMERICA 
54. Gomphus brimleyi Muttkowski 
Mtk. 711, p. 221. 
Length 41 mm. Expanse 48 mm. N.C. 
Olivaceous green and brown on head and thorax; yellow and black on ab- 
domen. Face greenish narrowly cross-striped with brown on sutures. Vertex 
black. Occiput olivaceous. Thoracic stripes of first pair brown, narrowed to a 
point at the crest and widened forward but not reaching the collar; stripe 2 
narrowed and pointed above; twice as wide as surrounding pale stripe; stripe 3 
distinct, complete, widened upward; 4 and 5 complete, 5 half as wide as 4. Legs 
brown, femora beneath and tibiae externally and first two joints of tarsi super- 
iorly paler. Abdomen blackish with the usual middorsal yellowish line on seg- 
ments 1-8, interrupted at sutures, abbreviated on 8; apex of 7-9 edged with 
yellow; 9 above black; 10 brown. Appendages brown, black at tips. 
55. Gomphus graslinellus Walsh 
Walsh ’62, p. 394: Mtk. Cat. p. 93: Garm. ’27, p. 164. 
Length 48 mm. Expanse 60 mm. Md. to Wis. 
A slender greenish species, striped with brown. Face and occiput greenish. 
Thoracic stripes of the first pair confluent, parallel sided, about as wide as the 
bordering pale areas. Stripe 2 isolated above, then fused with 3, and then 
separated below by a narrow greenish line. Stripe 2 is wider than 3. Stripes 4 
and 5, broad and complete, and a bit diffuse. Wings hyaline with brown veins. 
Legs brown, tibiae yellow externally. The middorsal pale stripe of the abdomen 
is composed of nearly continuous and rather wide triangles, shortened on 8 but 
lengthened again on 9 and 10. The sides of 8, 9 and 10 are marked with yellow. 
Appendages blackish. 
This species was studied by the senior author at Galesburg, Illinois, 
in 1895. It appeared on the wing on May 23rd, reached its greatest 
abundance in about a week and a month later had disappeared. It 
was seen most commonly when flushed from the bare paths that ter- 
raced a steep hillslope beside a pond. Females were seen ovipositing, 
unattended, moving slowly along above the water close to a steep 
clayey bank, descending to strike the surface at irregular intervals a 
few feet apart. Captured and dipped to the surface of water in a 
tumbler they would let fall 30 to 50 eggs at a dip. When free they kept 
at the egg-laying process for a surprisingly long time. They certainly 
lay many thousands of eggs. 
The nymphs burrow in the steep clayey banks. Tail tip upturned 
for respiration, they leave a shallow groove in the bottom marking 
their trail. Transformation occurs between daybreak and sunup, 
flat on the bank or on low grass, a foot or two from the water’s 
edge. 
