Selected biological aspects of Gomphurus ozarkensis (Westfall) (Anisoptera: Gomphidae)

The currently recommended status for Gomphurus ozarkensis (Westfall) is rare because it has a restricted range, it frequents upland stream habitats, Ozark Mountain tourism poses a threat and little is known of its life history. A population of this species along the South Fork of Spring River in Eastern Fulton County, Arkansas, United States, was studied by direct observation and mark-recapture. One hundred twenty-five teneral, immature adult and reproductive adult individuals were marked. G. ozarkensis is a spring species, emerging early in the year and having a short synchronous emergence period and an early emergence peak. The maturation period approximates 18 days for males and 25 days for females. The reproductive period was 30 days. The population estimate was determined for resighting records using the Fisher-Ford method. The survival rate was calculated to be 0.633, and the composite mean age of marked individuals was 3.5 days. The majority of the population (64.8%) was composed of males.