Introduction to Odonata: Dragonflies & Damselflies

Ornate Pennant (Celithemis ornata), C. Mazzacano

What are odonates?

Protolindenia wittei fossil; 155 million y.o.; www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/uniramia/odonatoida.html

“toothed” fossil record >400 million years Proto-fossils from Permian with 27 in. (68 cm) wingspan

What are odonates?

Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis), C. Mazzacano

Anisoptera (dragonflies)

Zygoptera (damselflies)

Diverse; 5952 species globally 463 species in North America (Schorr & Paulson, 2013)

Sierra Madre Dancer (Argia lacrimans), C. Mazzacano

What are odonates?

Colorful

Ebony Jewelwing, (Calopteryx maculata) John Wallace

Double-striped Bluet (Enallagma basidens), C. Mazzacano

What are odonates?

Aquatic

Alexa Carleton

Celeste Mazzacano

What are odonates?

Dennis Paulson

Hunters…

…and prey

Larry Rea

What are odonates?

Gila National Forest; USFS

Symbolic

Alexa Carleton Petroglyph National Monument

What are odonates? American Rubyspot (Hetaerina cruentata), C. Mazzacano

Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera), John Abbott

Beautiful!

Variable Darner (Aeshna interrupta), C. Mazzacano

Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor), C. Mazzacano

Dragonfly or damselfly?

Large body

Wider abdomen

Eyes touch or nearly so

Hindwings broader than forewings

Wings held horizontal when perched

Smaller body

Slender abdomen

Eyes separated

Equal-sized wings stalked at base

Wings folded above or along body when perched

Powdered Dancer (Argia moesta), C. Mazzacano Common Green Darner (Anax junius), Dennis Paulson

Odonate habitats

Running water: rivers, streams, creeks, ditches

Bear Creek CA; C. Mazzacano Cache la Poudre River CO; C. Mazzacano

Whychus Creek OR; C. Mazzacano Sandy River OR; C. Mazzacano

Deweys Mill Pond, Quechee VT; C. Mazzacano

Odonate habitats

Ag pond, Sauvie Island OR; Celeste Mazzacano Kristi Lake bog, Saskatchewan Canada; C. Mazzacano

RAMSAR wetland, Xalapa Mexico; C. Mazzacano

Sauvie Island ag pond, OR; C. Mazzacano

Still water: marsh, swamp, bog, seep, wet meadow, lake, pond

Odonate habitats Need upland habitat to feed, mature, shelter, and roost

Tropical dashers, Veracruz Mexico; C. Mazzacano

Breathing & locomotion Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata), John Abbott

Jet-propelled dragonfly nymphs

Minnow-like damselfly nymphs

Pond damsel, C. Mazzacano

Breathing & locomotion

Jet-propelled dragonfly nymphs

Minnow-like damselfly nymphs

Amazing Odes—Flight

Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata), John Abbott

Wings move independently of each other

Can hover, shoot up, zigzag, or fly backwards

for short span

Common Green Darner (Anax junius), Dan Jackson

Amazing Odes—Flight

Spot-Winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea), Carel de Haseth

Flight speed rivals small songbirds (30 mph / 48 kph)

Some species have broadened hindwings for gliding

Amazing Odes—Flight Dragonfly flight in slow motion

Amazing Odes—Vision

Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis), C. Mazzacano

Almost 360o field of vision Detect color, movement, shape

Amazing Odes—Vision

Blue-fronted Dancer, Michael Bok, EOL , http://eol.org/data_objects/22336775

Compound eyes with many lenses (ommatidia)

One eye may have 30,000 ommatidia

Elusive Clubtail (Stylurus notatus), C. Mazzacano Cherry-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum internum), C. Mazzacano

Amazing Odes—Hunting

Variable Darner (Aeshna interrupta) eats Pale Snaketail (Ophiogomphus severus), C. Mazzacano

Spiny legs directed forward like a basket to scoop up prey

Meadowhawk eating mosquito; K. Redmond, UWI-Milwaukee

May eat prey on the wing or perched

Amazing Odes—Hunting

Techniques: Fly continuously, snatch prey mid-flight Sally forth from perch to catch flying prey Make slow flights gleaning prey from vegetation

Whiteface eats Bluet, C. Mazzacano

Amazing Odes—Hunting

Nymphs use hinged, toothed, extendable “lower lip” (labium) to catch prey

Jeff Adams/Xerces Society

Jeff Adams/Xerces Society

Feed on invertebrates, tadpoles, small fish

Amazing Odes—Hunting

Common Green Darner (Anax junius), John Abbott

Amazing Odes—Hunting Predators as nymphs...

Amazing Odes—Hunting ...and as adults

Amazing Odes—Obelisking

Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida), C. Mazzacano

Cooling mechanism; minimizes surface area exposed to sun

Life History—Development Use hinged, toothed lower lip (labium) to catch prey

Nymph molts through multiple stages (instars) Wing pads develop as nymph grows Develop months to years, depending on species Adult emerges from “skin” of final instar nymph

Damselfly nymph; North American Benthological Society

Life History—Emergence

Final instar nymph stops feeding, leaves water, climbs onto perch

Larval skin splits along thorax; new adult (teneral) pulls free

Snaketail, C. Mazzacano

Snaketail, C. Mazzacano

Life History—Emergence

Teneral has shiny wings, soft body, weak flight

Color development and sexual maturation occur

teneral Snaketail, C. Mazzacano

Boreal Snaketail (Ophiogomphus colubrinus); C. Mazzacano

Life History—Emergence

Elisa Peresbarbosa Rojas

Life History—Maturation Color development continues with age

Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida) immature male, Ron Hemberger

Vivid Dancer mature male, Ron Hemberger

Male and female may look very different

Blue Dasher female, C. Mazzacano

Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) male, C. Mazzacano

Life History—Maturation

Some develop powdery coating (pruinosity) on

wings and/or body

Wings often tattered in older specimens

Eight-spotted Skimmer (Libellula forensis), C. Mazzacano

Eight-spotted Skimmer, Alexa Carleton

Life History—Reproduction

Males patrol around water to guard territory, find mates

Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia), C. Mazzacano

Females avoid water until ready to mate and lay eggs

Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata), C. Mazzacano

Life History—Reproduction Female abdomen broader, ovipositor may be visible Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja) female, C. Mazzacano

Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum), female, Michele Blackburn

Pin-tailed Pondhawk male, C. Mazzacano

Striped Meadowhawk (Sympetrum pallipes), male, C. Mazzacano

Male secondary genitalia form bump on S2

Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum), female, Michele Blackburn

Life History—Mating Male transfers sperm to secondary genitalia on S2 Claspers grab female behind eyes Female swings abdomen up to lock genitalia with male Male genitalia can scoop out sperm from female’s previous mating

American Emeralds (Cordulia shurtleffii), C. Mazzacano

Life History—Oviposition

Eggs inserted in vegetation or sediment, or dropped or

tapped onto water

Some species lay eggs in seasonal

wetlands that will flood later

Double-striped Bluets (Enallagma basidens), C. Mazzacano

Tule Bluets, (Enallagma carunculatum) C. Mazzacano

Life History—Oviposition

Common Green Darners (Anax junius), Dennis Paulson

Male may continue to hold female in tandem or guard her as she lays eggs

Life History—Hatching Egg hatches into prolarva, immediately molts to 1st instar nymph

Lilypad Clubtail (Ariogomphus furcifer), C. Mazzacano

"Today I saw the dragonfly

Come from the wells where he did lie. An inner impulse

rent the veil Of his old husk:

from head to tail Came out clear plates

of sapphire mail. He dried his wings:

like gauze they grew; Thro' crofts and pastures

wet with dew A living flash

of light he flew.“ Alfred Lord Tennyson

Questions?

Claret Pondhawk (Erythemis mithroides), C. Mazzacano