[Odonata-l] Gomphus ventricosus

[Paul M. Brunelle]

Hello All;
        Last year I used these lists to request information on Ophiogomphus
howei ? with very valuable results, which greatly inproved the report
I prepared.
        This year I am doing a similar report on Gomphus ventricosus in
Canada, where it is an exceedingly rare species; reported from the
Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
        This is one of the few species known in the Maritime Provinces which
is not reported for Maine ? however it is probably present in that
state.
        I haven?t as yet reviewed the Ontario and Québec reports, but in the
Maritime Provinces, the Skillet Clubtail has been encountered by very
few people (haven?t seen it in life myself). In Nova Scotia we have
one record of an adult in the mid-1900s by Douglas Ferguson, taken
somewhere in the area of Mt. Uniacke, and one exuvia which I found on
the Shubenacadie River.
        In New Brunswick, it was first reported (Walker 1958) from
Fredericton in the early 1900s ? almost certainly associated with the
Saint John River, but that was not stated in the publication. In
recent times, Dr. Anthony W. Thomas encountered the species six times
flying over a bog in Fredericton a few miles from the Saint John
River ? obviously on feeding flights. That the species is from the
Saint John River in this area (possibly tributaries as well) was
confirmed through Dwayne Sabine?s excellent 5-year emergence study on
the river. Stuart Tingley encountered the species at another mid-
province river; males perching on low vegetation in the flood plain
of the river.
        The species is rarely encountered at rivers (much like
Ophiogomphus). Dwayne has observed that larvae will travel a
considerable distance from the water?s edge and a long way up tree
trunks before emerging. The exuvia I collected in Nova Scotia was
about a meter from the water?s edge up a steep bank, and a further
1-1.5 meters up a tree trunk, which struck me as odd at the time. So
the species appears to be very cryptic except when feeding away from
water.
          I would greatly appreciate any information on other's
encounters with the species. All contributions will of course be
credited appropriately. Records of flight and lifestage, habitat
types, and behaviour notes would be of great interest. If possible,
latitude, longitude, and elevation of the locales of encounter would
be very useful in suggesting possible flight periods across the
species' range.
     If you are aware of any publications on the species, I would
appreciate the references.
     Cordially,
     Paul
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Paul M. Brunelle, B.Des., FGDC
NOTE NEW ADDRESS
4 Hilltop Terrace, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2Y 3T1
Phone: 902-423-1845
Email: pmb at ns.sympatico.ca
Fellow of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada
Research Associate, New Brunswick Museum
Research Associate, Nova Scotia Museum
Coordinator, Maine Damselfly and Dragonfly Survey
Regional Coordinator, Atlantic Dragonfly Inventory Program
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