DSA Species of the Month for September: Philogenia martae
Philogenia martae (Male), Tatamá National Park, Colombia, 8-4-23. Copyright Dan Osipov.
DSA’s “Species of the Month” for September is the damselfly Philogenia martae. It is in the Flatwing Family (Philogeniidae) and was newly described around 2017. Measuring about six centimeters (about 2.36 inches) long, this damselfly is endemic to the Western Colombian Andes mountain range in the Republic of Colombia in South America. Read on as photographer and dragonfly chaser Dan Osipov shares his experiences with this elusive species.
The Best “Bug Shot” of All
It had been abnormally dry in 2023, and the unassuming stream by the side of the road seemed like it could have been runoff from the rains. I was hiking the road cutting through the Tatamá National Park in Colombia in late July and August of 2023, the location of the 2022 Dragonfly Society of the America’s meeting. Now, the following year, I was there with a group of photographers for a “BugShot” tour. The forest was full of unique planthoppers, fancy beetles, and flamboyant butterflies. But my eyes were on dragonflies and damselflies.
Philogenia martae (Male), Tatamá National Park, Colombia, 8-4-23. Copyright Dan Osipov.jpg
There are more than one hundred unique species of odonates that reside in Tatamá National Park, making it a top biodiversity spot in the region. Some of the odonates there, including Philogenia martae, are endemic to the Western Cordillera region, and haven’t been found anywhere else on earth.
Philogenia martae (Male), Tatamá National Park, Colombia, 8-4-23. Copyright Dan Osipov.
The road I hiked ran from the park entrance to a military installation on top of the mountain. There were few other access points into the forest. Each day, the dragonflies were most active when the sun shone from mid-morning until early afternoon. Once the clouds rolled in in the afternoon, they would settle high up in the trees or in deep vegetation. This made them much harder to spot.
It was near that unassuming stream that a pair of damselflies—Philogenia martae—were hanging out. I discovered a male P.martae on a branch early in the afternoon on my hike. I froze for a moment with surprise!
Philogenia martae (Male), Tatamá National Park, Colombia, 8-4-23. Copyright Dan Osipov.jpg
At six centimeters (2.3 inches) in length, P. martae could rival some dragonfly darners in size, yet this damselfly’s slender constitution blended well with the surrounding vegetation. Once I found it, the damselfly posed for a few photos and videos. The next day I found a female sitting in the same spot, but she wasn’t as cooperative, flying up high as I approached.
Philogenia martae (Female), Tatamá National Park, Colombia, 8-5-23. Copyright Dan Osipov.
There are a number of other species of Philogenia (Flatwings) across Central and South America. The damselfly P. martae was described relatively recently in 2017, and is endemic to the Western Colombian Andes mountain range. Its yellow face has been anthropomorphized as a smile.
Philogenia martae (Male), Tatamá National Park, Colombia, 8-4-23. (Enhanced) Copyright Dan Osipov.jpg
It has been a great privilege to observe this species in the wild. And yes—-it made me smile to find it!
*****
Dan Osipov has been chasing dragonflies and damselflies since early childhood; first with a net, and more recently with a camera. He currently resides in the Bay Area of California. You can find him on Instagram or Threads. Danwould like to thank Juliana Sandoval, Kendra and John Abbott, Clay Bolt, Thomas Shahan, Cornelio Bota, as well as all the staff at the Montezuma Rainforest Ecolodge for making his experience with this damselfly possible.
