ARGU VIVroA

578 PROCEEDINGS? OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

5. ARGU VIVroA

Abundant

about the lake shore, whereit breeds in thenumerous spring streamscrossingthe beaches.

612 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.

vol.52.

6.ENALLAGMACALVERTIMorse.

Severalweretakenonthebeach.

7.ENALLAGMA CARUNCULATUMMorse.

One

malewas found

among

Enallagma collected onthe beach.

8.ENALLAGMA CYATHIGERUM(Charpentier).

This species lives in the lake and in places fairly

swarms

along the beaches.

9.COENAGRION RESOLUTUM(Hagen).

Severalwere taken around aboggy pool near the lake outlet.

10.AMPHLIGRION SAUCIUMABBREVUTUMSelys.

Occasional.

11.ISCHNURACERVULASelys.

Abundant

in the lily pads near the outlet of the lake.

12.ISCHNURAPERPARVASelys.

With

the preceding, but less <-.ommon. These two are at the extremeupperlimit of theirrange.

13.OPHIOGOMPHUSMORRISON!Selys.

This

was

very abundantalong the north shoreon thefinergravel and also around theoutlet. Over ahundred specimenswere taken (see p.534).

14.GOMPHUSDONNERIKennedy.

This

was

abundant on the sandy beach at the west end of the lake. Probably it

was

past its season, as only two females were caught. This species, which is closely related to

Gomphus

sohrinus Selys, seems to be either peculiar to this lake or aspecies not yet recordedfromelsewhere. Itis oneof thesurprises,as mostGomylii live in thelarger,

warm

rivers. Probably this isthe highest eleva- tion (5,940 feet) at which the genus has been recorded in North America.

15.ANAXJUNIUS(Drury).

One

individual

was

seen several times on Doniicr(^rcek near the outlet to the lakes. This is on the extreme upper limit of this species' habitat.

16.AESHNAPALMATAHagen.

Three males of this were caught on

Donner

Creek. It was not abundant. Exuviae were foundin

Donner

Creek.

17.AESHNA INTERRUPTA NEVADENSISWalker(?).

Females ofAeshnainterrupta Walker were taken near the outlet ofthelake. Probably these wereof the variety nevadensis Walker.

18.TETRAGONEURIASPINIGERASelys.

Severalwere caught on the

Donner

Lake road.

19.LIBELLULAPULCHELLADmry.

Severalcaughton

Donner

Creek. Thisisnear the upperlimit of thisspecies.

NO. 2192.

DRA00NFLIE8, CALIFORXIA AND NEVADA KENNEDY. 613

20.LIBELLULAQUADRIMACULATALinnaeus.

Common

about the^outlet. This isthe

common

Lihellula at this highaltitude.

21.SYMPETRUM CORRUPTUM(Hagen).

Several seen near theoutlet tothelake.

22.SYMPETRUM OBTRU8UM(Hagen).

Several caught near the outlet.

Abundant

near the Truckee slaughterhouse.

23.SYMPETRUMPALLIPES(Hagen).

Several caught

among

thewillowthicketsnear theoutlet. Emerg- ingin largenumbers^{in the}boggy

meadow

near the slaughterhouse.

PaUipes, scoticum, and ohtrusum seem to be able tolive in

mud.

24.SYMPETRUMSCOTICUM(Donovan).

Both

mature imagoes and tenerals abundant neartheslaughter- house.

25.LEUCORRHINIAGLACIALISHagen.

One

individual

was

caught near the outlet and three were taken near theTruckeeslaughterhouse.

SQUAW CHEEK AND TRUCKEE RIVERABOVE rx^NNER CREEK, ELEVATION 6,000-6,500 FEET,PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

1.LESTESCONGENERHagen.

Not common.

2.LESTESUNCATUSKirby.

Second most numerousspecies in

Squaw

Creekmeadows.

3.ARGIA

EMMA

Kennedy.

Severaltakenon Truckee Rivernearoutlet of

Lake

Tahoe. This

is the highest altitude for this species. It probably exists here because

Tahoe

does not freeze and so theTruckee River does not freeze.

4.ARGIA VIVIDAHagen.

Occasional along theTruckee River.

One

ortwo wereseenin the inlet at McKinney's

Camp

on

Lake

Tahoe. This is the highest Californiarecordforthisspecies.

5.ENALLAGMA CYATHIGERUM(Charpentier).

Occasional in

Squaw

Creek

meadows

and on Trackee River.

6.COENAGRIONRESOLUTUM (Hagen).

Occasionalin

Squaw

Creekmeadows.

7.AESHNA INTERRUPTA NEVADENSISWalker(?).

Severalfemaleinterruptaweretaken alongTruckeeRiver,probably var. nevadensis. This species is abundant and in place at this altitude.

8.AESHNAPALMATAHagen.

One

male

was

seen at close range seated on a willow in

Squaw

Creekmeadows. This as far as

my

datashows istheupperlimit of

614 PROOEEDTNOS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.

vol.52.

this species, excepting anexuvia, possiblyof this species,found on

McKinney

Lakes, 7,000 feet altitude. Palmata certainly is not normallyas

common

above6,000feetasbelowthatheight.

9.SOMATOCHLORASEMICIRCULARIS(Selys).

Several were caught on sedgy sloughs along

Squaw

Creek and Truckee River, This is the lowest elevation at which I took this species in this region. In central Oregon (Bend) itis abundant at 4,000 feet, in Washington

(Bumping

Lake) at 3,500 feet, and in BritishColmnbiaatsealevel.

10.LIBELLULAPULCHELLADrury.

Two

were seen on

Squaw

Creek. This is the highest record for this species in this region.

11.LIBELLULAQUADRIMACULATA^Linnaeus.

Abundant

overallmarshes above5,000feet.

12.SYMPETRUMRUBICUNDIILUM DECISUM(Hagen).

This

brown

faced species

was

the most abundant dragonfly f>n

Squaw

Creek.

13.SYMPETRUMPALLIPES(Hagen).

Emerging ⁱⁿ numbers from grassy sloughs along

Squaw

Creek.

14.SYMPETRUMSCOTICUM (Donovan).

Occasionalin

Squaw

Creekvalley.

LAKETAHOE, CALIFORNIAANDNEVADA.

Thislake,23 miles long

by

10broad,issurrounded

by

mountains, the lowerslopes of thoseon thewest shore covered

by

greenpines, those of the east shore

brown

and barren. Its entire shore line, except forsand along thesouth shore and

some

bordering cliffs, is

a clean pebble beach. Its water is marvelously clear. Fish are easily seen at adepth of20 feet and every scratch in the paint on the keel of the lake steamer is so distinct that the boat gives one the ideaof floating intheair. This lakeisso deepthat itdoes not freeze in winter. Itselevationis6,225feet.

Because of thisunusual purity of the waterand lack of

mud

on the beaches and bottom there is almost an entire absence of large aquatic vegetable life. Consequently aU other forms of life based onthis are in scanty

numbers

or entirely absent.

In threedays collectingI

saw

only three species of dragonflies on thelake. Argiavivida

Hagen

occurredina grassyinlet at

McKin-

ney. Aeshna interrupta nevadensis Walker ^{M^as}

common

but probably bredinthesmalllakesonthemountainsabout,andthrough its great propensity for wandering

came

to hunt along theTahoe shores. Opliiogomijihus morrisoni Selys

was

probably the only species actually spending its

nymphal

existence in the lake water.

A

single male whichflewaboard thesteamerin Emerald

Bay

is

my

only informationontliisspecies.

NO.2192.

DRAGONFLIES, CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA— KENNEDY. 615 The

UnitedStatesReclamationService has recently

dammed

the outlet and raised the surface of the water several feet. This has covered

many

ofthebeachesand

may

accountforpartofthescarcity ofaquaticinsects.

AL TAHOE.

In the

swamp

atAl Tahoe at thesouthernend of the lakewere taken Lestesuncatus Kirby, Lestes congenerHagen, Lestes disjunctus Seh's, Enallagmacyathigerum (Charpentier),Aeshna interruptaneva- densisWalker,Llhellulaquadrimaculata Linnaeus,

Sympetrum

ohtrusum (Hagen),

Sympetrum

pallipes (Hagen), and

Sympetrum

corruptum (Hagen).

MCKINNEYLAKES, MCKINNEYLANDING, LAKE TAHOE, ELEVATION 7,000FEET.

Four^smalllakeslieonthe dividebetween

McKinney

Creek,which flows into Tahoe, and the Rubicon River, which flows into the American River orPacific drainage. All are glacial lakesfilled

by

sediment until very shallow, three of

them

being covered

by

Uly pads and not over4 feetdeep.

The

openlake contains fishandso has little insect life.

The

other three fairly

swarm

with Odonata, in spite oftheirelevationandthecragscarrying

snow

patches,which

riseoneither side ofthem.

The

wateroftheseissurprisinglywarm, in fact

much

too

warm

todrinkwithpleasure. Thisunusual

warmth

in the lake waterat this altitude is probably due to thefact that the lakes arevery shallowand haveblack,peatybottomswhich,with the long, clear

summer

season, permitthesun to raise the tempera- ture of the water. However, all the flourishing species are truly Canadian, even the hardiest of thelowerforms existing at tliis ele- vationinscantynumbers.

1.LESTES CONGENEK Hagen.

Not common.

Three pairstaken.

2.LESTES UNCATUSKirby.

Occasional.

3.ENALLAGMA CYATHIGERUM (Charpentier).

Rarelytaken.

4.COENAGRION RESOLUTUM (Hagen).

This^isthe

common

damselflyaboutthelakes.

5.CORDULIA SHURTLEFFIScudder.

Common

aboutthelakes.

6.SOMATOCHLORA SEMICIRCULARIS (Selys).

Common.

Thisspeciesisfoundonly over patchesofsedgesstand- ing inshallow water. Apparentlythefemalesoviposit insuch sedge patches,and themalesare there to findthefemales.

7.AESHNA INTERRUPTA NEVADENSIS Walker.

This is very abundant about two of these lakes.

The

exuviae hang onthesedgesinvastnumbers. (Seep. 581.)

()16

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.

vol.52.

8.AESHNA PALMATAHagen.

Among

a seriesofexuviaecollectedhere Dr. E. M. Walker found asingle mutilated exuvia which he thought might be this species.

No

imagoes wereseen. Idoubtifitoccui-sotherthanasastraggler atthisaltitude.

9.LIBELLULA QUADRIMACCILATA Linnaeus.

Common.

10.SYMPETRUMOBTRIISUM (Hagen).

One

malecaught. Rare.

11.SYMPETRUM PALLIPES (Hagen).

Not common.

12.LEUCORRHINIA GLACULIS Hagen.

Fairly swarming over one of the lakes.

The

bushes about the shorewere alive withpairs in copulation and numeroussingle indi- viduals.

RENO, NEVADA.

Reno, atan elevation of 4,500 feet, lies in a smallvalley, whose level floorwithits vividgreen alfaKafieldsisinstrikingcontrastto the

brown

^of the massive Sierra foothills which surround it.

The

Truckee River on its course eastward to the

Nevada

Desert passes throughthis valleybutgivesthemostof itswaterto the irrigation canalswhichcarryittothe alfalfa fields. Itsbedisanalmost con- tinuous gravelbar anditsupportsbuthttleodonateUfe.

Back

from theriverarenumeroussloughsofwasteirrigatingwater,

common

in any overirrigated country, which fairly

swarm

with various

pond

species.

1.LESTESCONGENER Hagen.

Common

aboutallsloughs.

2.LESTESUNCATUSKirby.

Common

aboutthesloughs,

3.ARGIA

EMMA

Kennedy.

One

pair ofArgia

was

seenon the river near theAsylum. Prob- ablythisspecies.

4.ENALLAGMA ANNA Williamson.

This

was

the onlyEnallagmatakeninthevalley,thoughtwoothers probably occurred there. I

had

an excellent chance to observe its habits. It

was

veryactiveandflewbusilybackandforthalong the flowing irrigating ditches. Copulation lasted several minutes. In ovipositing, the females painstakingly put their eggs into the sub- merged stems of aquatic plants, at which task they were usually accompanied

by

themales until there

was

danger ^ofsubmergence,

when

these left the females to themselves. Frequently females wouldbesubmergedfor

many

minutes.

Nymphs

were

common among

thePotamogeton stemsinthe

more weedy

ditches.

A

large series of thisspecies

was

taken.

NO.2192.

DRAOONFLIES.

CAL/J'ORXfA

AND NET

A

DA -KENNEDY. G17

5.AMPHIAGRION SAUCIUM ABBREVIATUMSelys.

Only one

was

seen.

6.ISCHNURACERVULA Selys.

Common

inrestricted areas,

7.ISCHNURA PERPARVA Selys.

Occasional.

8.OPHIOGOMPHUS MORRISONISelys.

Fourexuviaewere found on a gravelbarof theriver. This^is a species of elevated districts. I have it from the Deschutes River, atBend,Oregon, elevation 4,000feet; from

Donner

Lake, CaMfornia, elevation 5,940 feet; and from

Lake

Tahoe, Cahfornia, elevation 6,225feet. Farther east on the Truckee River than

Reno

Valley

it is displaced

by

OpJiiogomphus morrisoni nevadensis Kennedy, Morrisoni is apparently a species of theupper border of theTran- sition Zone. Ophiogomplms

momsoni

and Argia

emma

were the onlyspeciesfound ontheriver inthe

Reno

Valley.

9.AESHNA PALMATAHagen.

AesJina was veryabundant over theareas of tulesor cattails in thesloughs. All of thosecaptured wereof this species. Probably constrictaSay andinternaWalker occurin thisvalley also.

10.LIBELLULAFORENSISHagen.

Very

common.

This was the only LibeUula seen.

11.SYMPETRLMCORRUPTIJM(Hagen).

Common.

12.SYMPETRUMCOSTIFERUM(Hagen).

One

captured. Severalseen.

13.SYMPETRUMRUBICUNDULUM DECasUM(Hagen).

Common. The

white faced ohtrusum

was

not observed.

14.SYMPETRUMPALLIPES (Hagen).

Several observed.

15.SYMPETRUMSCOTICUM (Donovan).

The

most abundantspecies.

16.LEUCORRHINIAGLACIALISHagen.

The

type ^{of this} species

came

from Reno, butI

saw

none.

How-

ever, Icollectedover only asmall portionof thevalley.

LOWER TRUCKEE RIVER, NEVADA.

In the fewmiles before the Truckee Riverempties into

Pyramid Lake

itmeandersas astronglyalkahnestreamovernumerousgravel bars tlirough the rich bottom land occupied

by

the Piute Indians.

The

Truckeetln-oughitslower courseiswellshaded

by

cottonwoods, willows, and alders.

My

collecting at this point and on Pyi-amid Lake, 4 miles distant,

was made

possible through the kindness of Mr. Oliver, the Indian agent, atwhose

home

I stayed whilethere.

1.LESTESCONGENERHagen.

Common

inthewillows, n

618 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MV8EVM.

vol.52.

2.ARGIA

EMMA

Kennedy.

Common.

Exuviae numerous about theroots of trees overhang- ingthe water,

3.ENALLAGMACARUNCULATUMMorse.

Common.

4.I3CHNURACERVULASelys.

Abundant

insedgyspots. Local in itsdistribution.

5.OPHIOGOMPHUSMORRISONl NEVADENSISKennedy.

This

was

the first place I took this large yellow

OpMog&mphus.

It

was

associatedontheriffleswith thenextspecies, thetwospecies having identical habits. I

saw

a female ovipositing on a riffle, strikingthewater withher

abdomen

assheflewalong(see p.536).

G.ERPETOGOMPHUSCOMPOSITUSHagen.

This widely spreadspecies occurred sparinglyon therifflesof the lower Truckee.

The

males appeared to be

more

nervous and

more

touchy, flyingfarther for conflictwith passingmales thanthemales of plnogom.phus morrisoninevaden&is.

7.AESHNA MULTICOLORHagen.

Abundant.

One

paircaught.

8.MACROMLVMAGNIFICAMcLachlan.

Severalwereobservedontheriver.

At

5 o'clock intheafternoon amale andfemalewere seenpatrollingthe roadattheagency.

The

male

was

taken.

9.LIBELLULAPULCHELLADrury.

Several seen along theriver.

10.SYMPETRUM CORRUPTUM(Hagen).

Abundant. Thisspeciesoviposits intheshallow edgeoftheriver, themaleholding the female. Shetaps thewater from oneto sixtimes in close succession, then the pair fly 50 to 100 feet farther tothe next shaUow, this proceeding sometimes covering several hundred feet of shore.

The

female also oviposits alone,

when

she takes a

much

shorterflight,striking thewater

more

frequently.

The

males were

most

abundant aboutthe water,but the femaleswere

met

inthe fieldsoranyvvhere.

11.SYMPETRUMPALLffES (Hagen).

The

least

common

^ofthe threespecies ofSympetrum.

12.SYMPETRUMSEMICINCTUM(Say),

Common

along theagencyditch.

PYRAMID LAKE, NEVADA.

Pyramid

Lake,atanelevationof3,880feet,withtheexception^of its twin,

Winnemucca

Lake,isthe lowestof theseveralsaUnelakes whichoccurin the

Nevada

Basinandconstitutetheremnantsofthe once great

Lake

Lehontin.

Pyramid Lake

^iseven yet a greatlake,

NO.2192.

DRAQ0NFLIE8, CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA— KENNEDY. 619

40 miles longand 10 broad. Itis salinewith a density of 1.0034, oraboutone-ninth thatofsea water. Itisabrilliantemeraldgreen body of water, surrounded

by

rugged

brown

hills barren of any vegetationexcept sagebrush and the fewdesertplants that survive theextremearidity of this region.

The

only green vegetationisthat of the cottonwoods and alders in the delta of the Truckee River.

The

only conspicuous life is that of the grotesque pelicans which

wade

solemnly in singlefile along its beaches.

It has been

shown by

R.C. Osburn^' that Odonata can not live comfortably in a density of sea water

much

over 1.008. I found the following fourspecies breedinginthe lakeand the poolsback of thebeachlino.

1.ENALLAGMACARUNCULATUMMorse.

One

male

was

found

when

I wentover

my Pyramid Lake

material carefully. (In

my

notesintheAnualsoftheEntomological Society ofAmerica^Imentionedonlytwospecies inPyramidLake,Enallagma clausum andSympetrvrn. corruptum.) Thisspecies

may

breed inthe lake in very limited numbersorit

may

be from theTruckeeDelta, whichw^as 1 milewest. This speciesis the most widely spread of allthewesternspecies ofEnallagmaand analkali

pond

species,soit

might beexpected.

2.ENALLAGMA CLAUSUM Morse.

This bred in large numbers in the shallow edge of the lake.

A

species of Potamogetongrows sparingly along the shore of the lake, and to thisare attachedmasses offilamentous algae. These masses breakloose and are washed along the beach in quantity. In this litter two species of Odonata breed freely, Enallagma clausum and Sympetrum corruptum. Through the

wave

actionthe beach at the edgeof the water is built into a low dykeover whichstorms force highwaves that

make

aseries of algae-filled poolsfrom which both species emerge freely. Probably these individuals are washed into these pools from the lake

when

the pools are formed.

On

fence posts50feetfromshore Ifoundexuviae ofbothspecies.

Enallagma clausumhas habits ofalighthigonthebeachandflying quickly along the surfaceof theground which are

much

^like those of an Argia. Because of their nervous alertness and this habit of hugging theground they are very difficult to capture, though they occm- inlargenumbers. Copulationis on thewingorwhile seated onthebeach oronthemasses of algae. Emergenceis at allhours, asI

saw

fresh tenerals at 3 o'clock inthe afternoon.

The

maleholds thefemale duringovipositionwhile sheplacesthe eggsinthe masses of algae.

3.ISCHNURA CERVULA Selye.

One

malewas found

among my

material.

1Amer.Nat., vol. 40, 1906, p. 395.

2Ann.Ent.Soo.Amer.,vol.8,1915, p. 297.

620

PROCEEDlNGii

OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.

vol.62.

4.SYMPETRUM CORRUPTUM (Hagen).

This species is abundant all over the West, except above 5,000 feet.

But

here itfairlyswarmed, occurring in fargreater numbers than I had seen it an.ywhere else. Its exuviae

hung

on driftwood along thebeachseveral deep.

HUMBOLDTRIVER, CARUY, NEVADA.

August6 to 10wasspentin ahurriedtrip

up

the

Humboldt

River.

This strangeriverrisesinthemountains on theeast side of

Nevada

andrunswest nearlyacrosstheStatetoflowoutonto the

Humboldt

Flats, where it forms a large shallow lake called

Humboldt

Sink.

Humboldt

Sinkissurrounded

by

miles ofsnow-whitealkali flats. I didnotget toit.

The Humboldt

River runsthrougha region oflow mountains barren of vegetation except sagebrush and its usual ac- companiments.

The

riverisalkaline inmostofitslower course and

isstrangeinthatnotrees whatevergrow alongitsbanks. Instead, there aregreatstretches of dense thickets of slenderwiUows, called

"pinwillows"

by

the

cow

punchersoftheregion.

As

thesegrow

up

totheedgeofthepei-pendicular claybanks of the stream, following the courseof thestreamonfoot along the

bank

forany distanceis

almostimpossible.

Humboldt

Riverhas the

same

faunaasthelower Ti'uckee, the onlyotherstreamoftheLehontinBasinexamined.

llie river at Carlin, which was the farthest upstream examined, flowed over continuous gravel beds. In the bottoms were several sloughsfromwasteirrigatingwater. Icollectedhereon August6.

1.LESTESCONGENER Hagen.

Abundant

.

2.ARGU

EMMA

Kennedy.

Occasionalontheriverbanks.

3.ENALLAGMA CARUNCULATUM Morse.

A

^fewseenona slough.

4.ISCHNURA CERVULA Selys.

Common

about thesloughs.

5.ISCHNURA PERPARVASelys.

AV)out thesloughs.

6.OPHIOGOMPHUS MORRISONI NEVADENSISKennedy.

Several caught on the gravel bars, but collecting

made

difficult

by

a large flock of killdeers which flew ahead and disturbed the dragonfhes.

7.ERPETOGOMPHUS COMPOSITUS Hagen.

Threemales caught.

8.AESHNA PALMATA Hagen.

One

male taken. Several seen

among

willow thickets near the sloughs.

9.UBELLULAFORENSIS Hagen.

Severalseen.