Dragonfly at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.
The Triplehorn Insect Collection is beginning a collaborative project to survey the dragonflies and damselflies of Ohio.
These spectacular aerial predators are surprisingly diverse: currently 164 species have been recorded in the state. Brilliant colors and striking markings make them the songbirds of the insect world. The immature stages of all species are aquatic, and these animals are found in lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. Although many dragonflies and damselflies are common, a number are listed as threatened or endangered.
This new Ohio Odonata Survey is scheduled to last 3 years. The work will be done together with the ODNR Division of Wildlife, the Ohio Odonata Society, and a network of avid volunteers and citizen scientists across the state.
MaLisa Spring, an Entomologist and recent OSU graduate, just joined us as coordinator for all of these efforts. She will be working out of the Triplehorn Insect Collection in Columbus, and will be actively interacting with participants around the state.
Information on the project can be found in the newly created Ohio Odonata Survey website. Project activities will also be widely advertised on social media.
Ohio naturalists are invited to contribute to the project. If you have images that can help document the distribution and seasonality of the various species of dragonflies and damselflies in our state, please check out the guidelines.
Finally, the Ohio Odonata Society will be holding its 2017 annual meeting, ODO-CON-17 on 23-25 June at the Grand River Conservation Campus in Rock Creek, OH.
Resources:
- **Newly created project website: Ohio Odonata Survey **
- Damselflies and Dragonflies of Ohio – Field Guide
- Odonata Central
- Information on the earlier work on surveying Ohio’s Odonata can be found here
Photos by L. Musetti (dragonflies) & Huayan Chen (damselfly).
About the Author: Dr. Norman F. Johnson is an Entomologist, Professor at Ohio State University, and Director of the Triplehorn Insect Collection.
A month or two ago, while kayaking in southern Ohio, we saw dozens of what I think were damselflies. But they were fluttering around so fast, we couldn’t get a look at them. I suppose they could have been dragonflies. We never saw one come to rest. There wings were very dark or black. I would have guessed an ebony jewelwing, except the had a bright blue stripe on the top of their back wing which ran alone the back edge but I don’t think the stripe was on the edge but maybe 1/16″ in. I do have a video, but you can’t see the blue stripes. Any ideas?