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Dragonflies... for a Change of Paceby Kathy Biggs
All you really need in order to be a dragonfly watcher are your eyes. Optional items however would include shoes that can get wet, an insect net, an 8-10X magnifying hand lens, glassine envelopes and plenty of sunscreen. If you don't own close-focus binoculars then a camera with a zoom lens can also be helpful: often regular binoculars won't focus in close enough while a camera will. You can click for a picture, or just use the camera for viewing. To date, more than sixty species of dragonflies have been identified in California - over 100 if you include the damselflies. Butte County is actually California's most prolific dragonfly area with 60 species of dragonflies and damselflies now known to occur here. But dragonfly studies in the United States are in their infancy, as Ornithology was a century ago. Just 3 years ago only 40 species of Odonata (the scientific name for their order that includes dragonflies and damselflies) were known to exist here. Then through observation of live flying `bugs', review of museum specimens and photographic records, 20 more species were found. Part of the thrill of watching dragonflies is the ability of even beginners to add to their understanding. Go out and find new one in a new locality! In California, dragonflies range in size from the Giant Darner, at 6 inches, to the Pacific Forktail, a damselfly, at less than 1 inch. All the in-between sizes are present, with many shapes and a variety of hues represented. They come not only in red, fuchsia, orange, pink, blue, gold, saffron, black, emerald, maroon, earth tones, and more, but also in metallic colors. Some have colored, spotted or banded wings, others may have clear wings but clubbed abdomens or a spike on their tail. And, no, they do not sting or bite. They have mouths which they do use to bite their prey (mostly mosquitoes and gnats) but they do not bite people unless caught and handled roughly, and even then it is like a good pinch. They have no stingers: the projections on the end of their abdomens are their claspers, used by the male to hold the female in their unique `wheel' mating position. Unfortunately, you couldn't find a handy guidebook for them until this year. The Audubon Society's Insects and Spiders field guide and Powell & Hogue's California Insects can be helpful, but these older insect guides cover only a few western species of dragonflies. Common Dragonflies of California, A Beginner's Pocket Guide became available just this year. It uses the new common names that were adopted by the Dragonfly Society of the Americas in the fall of 1966. All the other guides mentioned were written before this and use non-standardized common names. It is hoped that everyone will use these standardized names now and that the hobby of dragonflying will thereby avoid the confusing proliferation of common names the butterflies have developed. If you have Internet access you may find Common Dragonflies of California's companion web site useful: `California Dragonflies'. Besides more information on identification, it contains distribution maps and local sightings. We are lucky in that Butte County offers many great places to begin the study of dragonflies. Just find a spot near water on a calm, sunny summer day; any natural or artificial body of water will do. But Bidwell State Park would always be an excellent destination. Like hummingbirds, and very much unlike the butterflies, dragonflies can maneuver quickly, making rapid zigzag maneuvers. Occasionally though, you'll find one basking in the sun or claiming and defending a territory on a pond or stream where it can be observed at leisure. Otherwise, enjoy the aerial antics of Earth's very first fliers: indeed, they predate the dinosaurs and are among our most ancient creatures. In Odonatology, the study of dragonflies, you can have fun, be outdoors, and even contribute to a growing body of new knowledge! Enjoy! Kathy's beautiful full-color pocket guide Common Dragonflies of California may be purchased for $10.00 (tax included) as a special price to our readers. You may purchase it directly from Kathy Biggs at Azalea Creek Publishing, 308 Bloomfield Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472 And please visit her California Dragonfly website at www.sonic.net/dragonfly The following are a few of the most common California dragonfly species found in Butte County. Reminder: 25 mm equals one inch. Dragonflies
DamselfliesDamselflies are the small, slender-bodied and dainty `blue-tailed flies' with widely separated eyes. At rest, they hold their wings closed sail-like over their backs, while dragonflies' wings are held out flat to the sides.
Also see the accompanying article by Tim Manolis, Bidwell Park Treasures. From the Spring 2001 issue of the Environmental News. |
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Like birds and butterflies, dragonflies come in vibrant colors, they fly, and they have interesting life histories and behaviors. They emerge from their natal waters and change from ugly aquatic underwater nymph to beautiful, dazzling flying predators during the spring and summer months. For some species their flight season extends into the fall. And if you're used to observing nature, you've already developed the skills for watching them!