Volume VII, Number 1 - ISSN 1084-9750 - May 2000
Well,
it’s time to dust off the nets and head for the field. After another mild
winter and early spring, the first ode of the year appeared on a record early
date this year – April 1st (no fooling!). The ode season seems to
get a bit longer each year; if present trends continue, in a couple of decades
we may have odes on the wing year-round! Water levels in most areas have been
very low throughout the winter, though some soaking rains in April have eased
the situation, at least temporarily. However, the long-range forecasts call for
drought conditions again this summer, so we’ll have to see what transpires.
Odonatists
are tingling with anticipation over the impending publication of Sid Dunkle’s
new Dragonflies through Binoculars which is scheduled for this month
(May). Also due soon is the new manual by Minter Westfall and Michael May, Manual
of the Dragonflies of North America, scheduled for June publication, though
that now seems unlikely. Both of these books can be ordered from the
International Odonate Research Institute (web site: http://www.afn.org/~iori).
The appearance of these texts should be a watershed event in North American
odonatology! Also imminent is a new publication on California odonates: Common
Dragonflies of California: A Beginner’s Pocket
Guide by Kathy Biggs; see page 12
for details.
In this issue Rick Heil describes the evening dragonfly swarms he discovered in West Newbury, Blair Nikula offers some thoughts on new species to look for in southern New England, and Bob Muller describes a successful “ode-venture” in Florida. Also in this issue is a schedule of dragonfly walks and workshops for the upcoming season. Among these is another two-day workshop in late May arranged by Dave Wagner at the University of Connecticut (see page 3 for details), and the Northeast DSA field meeting, scheduled for Orange County in southeastern New York over the weekend of 9-11 June. It looks like another hectic season — we hope to see you in the field!
CONTENTS
First 2000 Odes!
Northeast
DSA Meeting
Rhode
Island Atlas
2000 Humboldt Courses
Maine
Atlas Project
Dragonflies Are Where You
Find Them
The Next Ode Invaders?
Florida
Travels
Ode
News Web Site Updated
New
T-Shirts
New
California Guide
About Ode News
The Northeast regional
meeting of the Dragonfly Society of the Americas will be in the Sterling Forest
in Orange County, southeastern New York on the weekend of 9-11 June. Sterling
Forest is in the Hudson Highlands and has extensive forest cover with small
lakes, bogs, and streams. It recently was acquired by the state of New York and
is currently being assessed for biological diversity.
In 1989, a population of
Sable Clubtail (Gomphus rogersi) was discovered in this area, the
northernmost occurrence of this southeastern species. Other species found here
include Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeschna pentacantha), Arrowhead Spiketail (Cordulegaster
obliqua), White Corporal (Libellula exusta), and Slender Bluet (Enallagma
traviatum). On Sunday, there will be a trip to the Wallkill N.W.R. on the
New Jersey – New York border.
Trip leaders will be
Karen Frolich (New York State Biodiversity Research Institute) and Paul Novak
(New York Natural Heritage Program). For information, contact Karen (kfrolich@MAIL.NYSED.GOV)
or Nick Donnelly (tdonnel@binghamton.edu).
The very successful Rhode
Island Odonate Atlas is entering its third year, under the leadership of Ginger
Carpenter. In the first two years of the project, 14 new species have been added
to the state list, bringing the total to 129 species. An organizational meeting
in early April attracted over two dozen enthusiastic volunteers. If you are
interested in participating in the atlas, at any level, contact Ginger Carpenter
at the Nature Conservancy in Providence (phone: 401-331-7110; e-mail: gcarpenter@tnc.org)
Paul Brunelle’s very
popular week-long courses on odonates at the Humboldt Field Research Institute
in Steuben, Maine are being offered again this year. Topics to be covered
include collection and taxonomic study, life stages, morphology, behavior,
distribution, and sampling. The first course, focusing on nymphs, will be held
the week of 28 May – 3 June while the second, concentrating on adults, will be
2 – 8 July. The tuition for each course is $435, with room and board available
at an additional cost (we hear the food is great!). For more information
contact:
Humboldt
Field Research Institute
P. O. Box 9, Steuben, ME 04680-0009
phone: 207-546-2821; fax: 207-546-3042
e-mail: humboldt@nemaine.com
web site: http://maine.maine.edu/~eaglhill
The Maine Dragonfly &
Damselfly Survey enters its second season this year. The survey got off to a
very successful start last year, with over 100 volunteers contributing 2,432
records, including three species new to the state: Dusky Dancer (Argia
translata), Scarlet Bluet (Enallagma pictum), and Quebec Emerald (Somatochlora
brevicincta), the latter a first for the U.S.! The Maine list now stands at
157 species. At the project’s web site (http://mdds.umf.maine.edu/~odonata/)
you can find a checklist of Maine odonates, flight season tables, publications
relating to the survey, 1999 results, and more. If your travel plans include
Maine this summer and you would like to contribute, contact the project
coordinator Phillip deMaynadier, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and
Wildlife, 650 State Street, Bangor, ME 04401; (phone: 207-941-4239); e-mail:
phillip.demaynadier@state.me.us.
Dragonflies Are Where
You Find Them
Richard S. Heil
In
1998, as a neophyte to odonate study, I began by exploring sites close to home.
One of these places was the Mill Pond Conservation Area in West Newbury,
Massachusetts. Initially burdened with a mindset that linked all dragonflies
primarily with water, I headed for the pond. The pond, shallow, weedy, and
eutrophic, proved, like many ponds in Essex County, to be unspectacular for
odonate diversity, being dominated by large numbers of common libellulids of
just a few species, such as Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta), Common
Whitetail (L. lydia), and that omnipresent ode-force, the Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax
longipennis).
Leaving the multitudes of
skimmers behind, I focused my attention on the nearby upland grassy meadows and
cornfield edges. It soon became apparent that these areas were consistently
productive for evening swarms of interesting and challenging to net dragonflies
that included several species of darners (Aeshna spp.), and numbers of
Clamp-tipped Emeralds (Somatochlora tenebrosa). At the end of the 1998
season, buoyed by some initial success, I made a resolution that in 1999 I would
initiate regular, more systematic surveys of these evening swarms, with the
particular hope of finding additional species of Aeshna and Somatochlora.
Curiosity about how many
of the individuals netted were recaptured that same evening or on later dates,
plus questions about longevity of individuals in the swarms, prompted me in
mid-July to initiate a marking survey in which I marked the base of both hind
wings of all captures with patterns of dots from a silver marking pen. A
different pattern was used on successive dates, with the exception of 11 and 22
July when a single dot was used on both dates.
With these objectives in
mind, nine surveys were conducted in 1999 between 7 July and 24 August. Evenings
were chosen that were sunny or mostly sunny and on the warm side, ranging from
78-85°
F at the beginning of each survey. Surveys were conducted generally between 1730
and 2000 hours.
Summary
of Observations and Captures by Genera
Aeshna:
Moderate to large numbers of darners were present on every survey, but on
evenings when large swarms were present only a small percentage of the total
seen were captured. Often the majority of the larger swarms were higher flying
and therefore more difficult to net. The Shadow Darner (A. umbrosa) was
the most frequently caught of the five species of darners found, representing
50% of all Aeshna captures. I believe this result is somewhat skewed by
the behavior of this species, which tends to fly low to the ground and along
shrub and woodland edges, facilitating capture. I wonder how frequently, if at
all, this species participates in the high-flying swarms.
Representing 29% of Aeshna
captures, the Lance-tipped Darner (A. constricta) was the second most
commonly netted species. This darner seemed particularly attracted to a recently
plowed field where fresh manure had been spread. The manure attracted a
multitude of small flies upon which darners (and some Somatochloras) were
clearly feeding, hunting two inches to two feet above the ground. In 1998, on 27
July, some sixty darners were observed engaging in this foraging strategy over
recently spread manure and 100% of captures (16 individuals) in thirty minutes
were all Lance-tipped Darners. Three additional species netted in 1999, each in
small numbers, included Canada Darner (A. canadensis), Black-tipped
Darner (A. tuberculifera), and Green-striped Darner (A. verticalis).
Of 58 Aeshnas
marked and released, only a single individual, a male Lance-tipped Darner on 2
August, was recaptured about an hour later within 50 meters of the point of
release.
Anax:
Small to moderate numbers of the large and ubiquitous Common Green Darner (A.
junius) were present on all counts. Typically noted patrolling low over
grassy meadows, they were occasionally present in the higher swarms of darners
as well. Individuals also were often flushed
from roosts in the tall grass.
Epitheca:
Only one species of baskettail, the Prince Baskettail (E. princeps)
was observed during the survey period. This dragon forages over the meadows in
a manner similar to Anax but generally flies higher, has not been seen to
perch here, and is present in smaller numbers.
Somatochlora:
Easily my favorite genera, a remarkable five species were netted, dominated
by the handsome Clamp-tipped Emerald (S. tenebrosa), of which 83
individuals (22 males, 61 females), representing 71% of all Somatochlora
captures, were caught. A single evening high of twenty-four was netted on 7
July. Clearly this emerald, common throughout much of Essex County, is the
Somatochlora of the Mill Pond Conservation Area. Clamp-tipped Emeralds
engage in the gamut of foraging strategies here, from patrolling low over grassy
meadows and the manure-laden plowed field to participating in the high flying
swarms where they mix it up with the various species of darners. Somatochloras,
presumably mostly tenebrosa, were often observed to perch along the shrub
border as well as high up in the adjacent deciduous woodland canopy. Indeed, a
commonly observed behavior for these dragonflies is to swoop down from tree top
height to begin a patrolling regimen over the adjacent meadows. Conversely, an
errant swing with the net would often induce a full speed bee-line flight back
to the nearby canopy.
Male
Clamp-tipped Emeralds could occasionally be identified in flight, either with
binoculars or even with the naked eye, appearing smaller, shorter, and with a
more narrow abdomen than the females, or either sex of the large emeralds in the
area. On slower flying individuals the unique clamp-shaped anal appendages could
also sometimes be discerned. Females, particularly those newly emerged, possess
bright yellow markings on a shiny metallic green thorax, dissimilar from other
large emeralds found here to date. These yellow thoracic spots often could be
observed on the flying insect.
Thirty-seven
Clamp-tipped Emeralds were marked and released, of which two were recaptured on
later dates. A female marked with a single dot on either 11 or 22 July, was
recaptured on 28 July, and another female, also marked on either 11 or 22 July,
was netted again on 2 August, 11–22 days later. Unfortunately, I didn’t vary
the marking pattern on the first two dates so I was unable to determine the
precise date each was marked.
Previously considered to
be rather rare in Essex County, twenty-four Williamson’s Emeralds
Five individuals of the
Mocha Emerald (S. linearis), state-listed as ‘special concern,’ were
captured. Several additional females seen (but not netted) in the latter half
of July were believed to be this species. Females in flight were readily
identified by the orange suffusion to their wings, much darker than on any tenebrosa
I’ve examined. They also appear somewhat larger and to possess thicker
abdomens than flying tenebrosa females. These captures, in conjunction
with small numbers caught at several other Essex County sites in 1999, suggests
that this large southern emerald may be more common than previously realized, or
is undergoing a range expansion and increase northward, which seems to be the
case with many fauna.
The highlight of the
survey was the discovery of small numbers of Coppery Emeralds (S. georgiana)
present in the high-flying swarms in late July. Four males of this apparently
rare and little-known emerald were collected on two dates, and at least eight
others were believed seen. The latest sight record was on 24 August. It should
be noted that a sight record of an emerald believed to be georgiana was
made here on 11 August 1998, but none were captured that season. These
captures represent the northernmost U.S. records, but interestingly they are not
the first for the county. Six Coppery Emeralds were taken at Willowdale State
Forest in Ipswich on 18 August 1973 (C. Leahy), only ten miles SSE of the
current survey site.
The Coppery Emerald is
quite distinctive once familiarity is achieved, and can be picked out visually
from an overhead swarm of Somatochloras by its small size, coppery-brown
color, and by its very fast and erratic flight style. One caveat is to beware of
the occasional meadowhawk (Sympetrum spp.) in the swarms, which may
appear similarly colored, but whose flight style is slower and less erratic. Of
course, georgiana’s speed and tendency to remain up high make it among
the most difficult of dragonflies to catch. Coppery Emeralds no doubt end up in
the polyester less often than their populations might otherwise warrant. In
other words, it likely is more widespread than we now realize.
There is no greater
physical challenge than the rigorous pursuit of Somatochloras, be it
sprinting through a waist high meadow, up hill, after a suspected Mocha Emerald
that remains just an ovipositor ahead of your outstretched net, or performing
vertical leaps and pirouettes that may (or may not) invite a comparison to
Michael Jordan, in an attempt to bag a
high-flying, zigzagging georgiana before it engages warp drive up and
over the nearby forest canopy.
Pantala:
Both species of gliders were recorded with the Spot-winged Glider (P.
hymenaea) being common in early July but unrecorded here in August. The
cosmopolitan Wandering Glider (P. flavescens), separable in flight by its
bright yellow abdomen, was present in the swarms throughout the period in low to
moderate numbers.
Tramea:
The Black Saddlebags (T. lacerata) was found in greater than expected
numbers and like the Spot-winged Glider, was most common in early July with a
high count of 15+ on 7 July.
Objectives
for Survey in 2000
In the upcoming 2000 ode
season my goals at the Mill Pond Conservation Area will be to confirm, amend, or
discard the tentative conclusions regarding species composition, population
sizes, seasonality, behavior, and identification in flight as well as
in-the-hand. I also intend to expand the survey dates to include June since it
was clear in 1999 that the swarms were well in progress by early July. I hope to
continue the marking project as well, and to increase the number of individuals
marked in an attempt to learn more regarding recapture rates and longevity of
individuals in the swarms. Obviously much is yet to be learned about the
swarming behavior of these dragonflies.
Blair Nikula
One of the great thrills
for any naturalist is finding a species previously unknown from a particular
area, whether it be in his or her own backyard, or a new town, county, state, or
other geographic or political region. Odonatists certainly share in this
excitement, and odonates, being very mobile and little studied, provide many
opportunities for new discoveries.
New
state records have been rather frequent in southern New England over the past
several years, and the potential for further additions remains high. A quick
review shows that over the last few years of the 20th century, six
species were added to the Massachusetts list and 23 to the Connecticut list,
while in just the past two years, 14 new species have been found in Rhode
Island! New county records number in the hundreds. While this pace will
certainly slow, there are a number of species at our doorstep, awaiting
detection. Here I wish to call attention to these in the hopes that observers
will be on the lookout for them.
These potential pioneers
all have been found in areas relatively nearby and fall into a couple of general
categories. Some are quite clearly expanding their ranges in our direction,
primarily from the south or west, while others have not shown any obvious range
changes but are known from areas near enough to occur at least as occasional
vagrants. Some have demonstrated a proclivity to wander — considerable
distances in some cases — while others appear to be quite sedentary (and thus,
perhaps, are less likely to show up here).
Here, then, are some
species observers might be looking for, with some suggestions for where and when
they might appear. Five of these have been recorded once or twice in southern
New England recently and should be searched for elsewhere in the region. A
few others have been recorded once or twice historically and may still occur
here. Photographs of most of these species can be found on the Ode News
web site at: www.capecod.net/~bnikula/images.htm.
Great Spreadwing
(Archilestes grandis): This very large (2-2½”) spreadwing has a distinctive, diagonal yellow stripe on the
sides of the thorax. There are records from New York, New Jersey, and one
purported record from Vermont, though the details of this latter report are
unclear. Once known only from the southwestern U.S., Great Spreadwings have now
spread all the way to the Northeast. They fly late in the season and should be
looked for in August and September along slow to moderate flowing streams.
Western Connecticut and Massachusetts seem the most likely places to find this
distinctive insect.
Blue-tipped Dancer
(Argia tibialis): This southern dancer ranges as far north as New Jersey
and has been found at least once in southeastern New York. They
most commonly inhabit sluggish, often heavily shaded streams, and have a
mid-summer flight period.
Rainbow Bluet
(Enallagma antennatum): The males of this bluet are the most colorful of
the genus and are easily recognized with their combination of blue, black, and
green thorax, black abdomen, reddish face, and yellow legs. Females are much
duller and far less easily identified. Rainbow Bluets inhabit a variety of
wetlands and have spread eastward over the past several decades.
They are now found in New York and New Jersey, and also occur along the Poultney
River, a sluggish, muddy bottomed river in west-central Vermont. This species is
likely to occur in western Massachusetts and, perhaps, Connecticut. The flight
season is June and July.
Double-striped Bluet (Enallagma
basidens): This bluet, characterized by paired black “shoulder” stripes,
is another species that has been spreading eastward from the Midwest and may
soon colonize southern New England. It is established in New Jersey, has been
found in New York, and one was recently collected in southwestern Connecticut.
Habitats include a variety of lentic wetlands; they seem to have a tolerance for
disturbed areas. Double-striped Bluets have a lengthy flight season extending
from June into September (the Connecticut record was on 16 September).
Blackwater Bluet
(Enallagma weewa): This southern species occurs locally in New Jersey,
recently was discovered by Steve Walter on Long Island, and turned up for the
first time in New England in Rhode Island last summer. The male’s terminal
appendages are very similar to the common Stream Bluet’s
Southern Sprite
(Nehalennia integricollis): Ginger Carpenter discovered a small
population of this tiny southern damselfly in Rhode Island in 1998, and there
are records from Long Island. Southern Sprites are very similar to the common
Sedge Sprite
Gray Petaltail
(Tachopteryx thoreyi): There apparently is a Massachusetts record of this
huge dragonfly from the mid-1800s, but the whereabouts of the specimen is
unknown and the published account by Hagen is vague and gives no specific
location. However, the species is present in southeastern New York and northern
New Jersey, and might well occur in the southern Berkshires. In the Northeast,
Gray Petaltails inhabit hillside seepages or swampy areas, where the adults fly
during June and early July.
Sable Clubtail
(Gomphus rogersi): This Appalachian species has been found in
southeastern New York. Though a bit of a long-shot, the New York site is less
than 50 miles from the Connecticut border. Sable Clubtails prefer rocky streams
and are on the wing in June.
Pygmy Snaketail
(Ophiogomphus howei): The type specimen of this small clubtail came from
Amherst in central Massachusetts, and there may have been a more recent record
from that area, though we have no details on this latter report. Pygmy
Snaketails, like others in their genus, have bright green bodies and faces, but
can be distinguished by their small size and amber wash at the base of the
wings. They are strictly riverine and fly in June and early July. There are
recent records from Maine, including the Saco River in southwestern Maine (exuviae
only), so the species may still exist on the Connecticut River or its
tributaries.
Russet-tipped Clubtail
(Stylurus plagiatus): This southern clubtail inhabits large, sandy or
muddy bottomed rivers, often where there is some tidal fluctuation. It has
been found in New Jersey and on the Hudson River in New York, though apparently
is scarce in both states. If it occurs in this region, the southern reaches of
the Connecticut River probably offer the best potential to find it. Like others
in its genus, it has a late summer flight season.
Tiger Spiketail
(Cordulegaster erronea): This large, handsome dragonfly was rediscovered
in central Connecticut in 1999 (there are a couple of historical records from
the southwestern part of the state). It also occurs in southeastern New York,
where it inhabits seepage areas at the headwaters of very small, often temporary
streams. Adults have a distinctive abdominal pattern and fly in mid-summer. The
southern Berkshires and western Connecticut have potential for additional
records.
Broad-bodied
Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia
michaeli): This newly described, crepuscular dragonfly has been found
recently at a number of sites in Maine, including the Saco River in the
southwestern corner of the state. To date, it is known only from Maine and New
Brunswick. These dull, stocky dragons inhabit rocky streams, where the adults
fly in June and early July. However, they
are found for only 15-20 minutes near dusk. The exuviae provide the easiest
means to confirm this elusive species’ presence.
Lake Emerald
(Somatochlora cingulata): There is one 1973 record of this large,
northern emerald collected by Chris Leahy on the summit of Mt. Greylock in
northwest Massachusetts. Lake Emeralds inhabit large lakes and the backwaters of
rivers in northern New England, where the flight season extends from mid-June
through August. The higher elevations in Massachusetts probably offer the best
potential for additional records.
Delicate Emerald
(Somatochlora franklini): This bog-dwelling emerald is found in northern
New England and the Adirondacks where they fly from mid-June into early August.
Like the preceding species, the highlands of Massachusetts offer the best hope
for this species. However, it is perhaps one of the least likely species on this
list to occur in southern New England.
Four-spotted Pennant
(Brachymesia gravida): This distinctive southern dragonfly is readily
identified by its white stigmas and, in mature individuals, large brown to black
spots in the outer portion of each wing. It is a coastal species and often found
in brackish wetlands. Over the past decade or so, Four-spotted Pennants have
been found progressively further north on the Atlantic Seaboard, with several
recent records from southern New Jersey. Though still some distance from our
shores, they’re heading this way.
Yellow-sided Skimmer
(Libellula flavida): This is another species of the southeast coastal
plain, with populations as far north as central New Jersey and a few occurrences
on Staten Island. There is rumored to be a record from Martha’s Vineyard,
though no details are available. Yellow-sided Skimmers are extensively yellow on
the sides of the thorax (though in mature males this color is often obscured by
pruinosity) with dark bars on the leading edges of the wings. They should be
looked for in acidic wetlands along the southern coast.
Black Meadowhawk
(Sympetrum danae): This small, blackish, northern species is known from a
number of sites in Maine as well as the Adirondacks of New York. Mature males
are mostly blackish, while the females are dark with yellow markings on the
abdomen. Black Meadowhawks appear to be rather sedentary, but have wandered to a
couple of islands off the Maine coast, so conceivably could show up in northern
Massachusetts.
Red-mantled Saddlebags
(Tramea onusta): This brilliant red, western dragonfly, like its
relatives, wanders widely and has been recorded several times as far northeast
as New Jersey. It is most likely among migratory swarms along the southern New
England coast, but is very similar in appearance to the common Carolina
Saddlebags (T. carolina), so confirmation will require a captured
individual.
Although these species
seemed to be some of the most likely to appear (or re-appear) in southern New
England, based upon the proximity of recent occurrences, they certainly are not
the only possibilities. Absent from the above list are some potential
long-distance vagrants. For example, the Striped Glider (Tramea calverti),
which has been found twice recently in Massachusetts, is a tropical species that
normally ranges north only to the extreme southern U.S. Gulf Coast. However,
they are strong fliers with an apparently well-developed proclivity to wander
great distances and have occurred in the Northeast on a number of occasions.
Likewise, the Vermilion Glider (T. abdominalis), another tropical
species, was collected on Nantucket in the 1800s. Two southeastern U.S. species,
the Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella) and the Regal Darner (Coryphaeschna
ingens), are also strong fliers that have wandered as far north as Virginia,
and could conceivably blow into New England someday.
Clearly, there is still
plenty of potential for exciting new discoveries. So get out and look — sooner
or later your efforts will be rewarded!
Bob Muller
My first trip to Florida
to look for odes was a great experience. From 6 April to 14 May 1999, I recorded
51 of the 86 dragonflies and 24 of the 44 damselflies known from the state.
I’m certain my results would have been even greater later in the year.
Using Sid Dunkle’s
books on the dragonflies and damselflies of Florida, I planned an early season
trip that took me across the Panhandle and south to the southern end of Lake
Okeechobee, covering 4,388 miles within the state.
Many species which are
reported to be common and to fly all year in Florida, proved to be very scarce
or absent during the time I was there, while I found some uncommon species to be
very common at certain locations. The lack of many species was likely due to the
extreme drought conditions; hundreds of small ponds, brooks, and creeks were
totally dried up and had been for a period of time.
One species that appeared
to be faring well, was the Comet Darner (Anax longipes), which I saw on
most rivers, lakes, and ponds south of Gainesville. They were impossible to
catch as they flew over rivers and lakes, but presented no problem on shallow,
grass-filled ponds. At one small, one-acre pond, I netted five individuals in a
four-hour period, releasing all but one prior to leaving the area. At this site,
it was interesting to note that one male would dominate the pond, chasing off
every newcomer. However, once I caught the dominant male, another would appear
within 15 minutes and fly the same route. This cycle repeated itself several
times, confirming the fact that at least several individuals were involved. I
concluded that this species is actually fairly common at shallow, grassy ponds
in Marion and Lake counties.
My other most interesting
finds were Blue-faced Darner (Coryphaeschna adnexa), Regal Darner
All in all, I had a great
trip, despite the fact that my wife fractured her ankle at the Florida Welcome
Center upon our arrival — the first day was spent at the hospital! Later in
the trip, while pursuing a neat looking ode, I ran my eight-foot rubber boat
right on top of a 12-foot alligator! Fortunately, he apparently had eaten well
that morning and allowed me to toss the electric motor in reverse and back away.
After this little encounter, my wife was not too thrilled about joining me in my
little rubber boat! Nonetheless, it was a fun trip.
Over the course of the
winter, we made many updates to the Ode News web site. Perhaps of
greatest interest to local readers, we have added a county checklist of
Massachusetts odonates. This checklist was originally compiled by Chris Leahy
and has been regularly updated by us, with input from other active observers
across the state. With Jim MacDougall’s assistance, we hope soon to add county
maps for each species.
We have added a number of
new images to the Massachusetts list, and now have photos of all but three of
the species known from the state, including a substantial percentage of females!
The bibliography of New England odonatology has also been updated, and now lists
about 190 publications on the odonates of the region.
Our links page contains
well over 200 active links to web sites from around the world. Of particular
interest to local readers is a new sites in Maine (the Maine Dragonfly and Damselfly Survey — see page 3).
There has been a
proliferation in odonate images available online over the past year, and we have
added hundreds of links to our photo references pages, resulting in the addition
of dozens of new species from across North America, most notably many superb
photos taken by Bob Behrstock in the southwestern U.S. These pages now contain
links to over 1200 photos, representing about 355 species, or 80% of the total
known from North America! We are eager to fill in the blanks and welcome
contributions from anyone who has photos of any of the missing species (or
sexes).
When
you get a chance, check out some of these resources — and let us know if you
notice any errors,
The Vernal Pool
Association has produced a number of handsome, high-quality T-shirts, and they
have just added a very attractive new one featuring a Common Baskettail (Epitheca
cynosura). Adult sizes (M, L, or XL) are available in dark green or brown,
and child size (L only) in red. The price is $15, or 3 for $40, plus $3 postage.
To order send a check to: RMHS - Vernal Pool Association, 62 Oakland Road,
Reading, MA 01867; check payable to: “RMHS – VPA.” To learn more about the
Vernal Pool Association and to view the shirts and books they sell, visit their
web site at:
Another new dragonfly
guide, Common Dragonflies of California, A Beginner’s Pocket Guide by
Kathy Biggs is scheduled for publication on May
10th. This 96-page book covers 77 species of dragonflies and
damselflies with 117 color photographs and scans. Also included is a checklist
of California species, as well as information on identification, habitats,
flight periods, and behavior. The book measures 5.75” x 4.5” for easy
portability in the field. The price is $9.95 plus shipping ($2.00 for first
book; $3.00 for two; $4.00 for three or more).
To order, send a check
to: Azalea Creek Publishing, Common Dragonflies of California, 308 Bloomfield
Road, Sebastopol, CA 95472. For more information, visit Kathy Biggs’ web site
(which also has a great deal of information on California odonates) at:
Editorial Staff & Production…Blair Nikula and Jackie Sones
Illustrations…Fahy Bygate, Jackie Sones, and Jeremiah Trimble
Ode News is available at no charge (for now!) to anyone interested.
If you have any questions, comments, or contributions, or wish to be placed on the mailing
list 
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write to: Ode News, 2 Gilbert Lane, Harwich Port, MA 02646, or send e-mail to:
odenews@odenews.org.
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