ARGIA 35(4) is Available for Download

ARGIA 35(4) is Available for Download

The latest issue of ARGIA, the DSA's quarterly news journal, is available on the DSA's website.

This issue of ARGIA contains:

A memoriam section dedicated to the late Michael L May.

The first sneak peek at the next DSA Annual Meeting, which will be held in Marietta, Ohio, 28–30 June 2024.

The next Nymph Cove installment, which discusses how to differentiate between the different Cordulegastridae and Macromiidae genera.

Some wonderful photographs of odes and their dinners.

and more!

DSA members can login to download the issue.

Amanda Whispell
Editor-in-chief of ARGIA

Species of the Month

 Helicopter Damselfly (Mecistogaster ornata), perched on a nearby grass and about to fly away, Cuernavaca (Morelos), Mexico. Photo by Catalina M. Suárez Tovar, 2020.

December Species of the Month: Ornate helicopter damselfly (Mecistogaster ornata)

The December DSA “Species of the Month'' is the Ornate Helicopter Damselfly (Mecistogaster ornata),  a species belonging to the subfamily Pseudostigmatinae (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). This subfamily is morphologically characterized by their long abdomen and the absence of pterostigma, or its modification into a false multiple-cell pterostigma. It encompasses some of the largest damselfly species, with an average total length of 87 mm (almost three and a half inches). Its distribution ranges from Mexico, through Central America, and extends across a significant portion of South America, reaching Brazil and Argentina. Read on to enjoy the story of how Colombian biologist Catalina M. Suárez Tovar and master’s degree student Iván Sandoval García encountered this intriguing species.

The Quest for the Helicopter Damselfly

Mecistogaster ornata Rambur, 1842 the lemon-tipped helicopter or ornate helicopter.

“…it is the hesitation that grants it its charm, resolution or distress take away any grace.” 

—Byung-Chul Han

It was December 2019 and we were sampling central Mexico’s state of Morelos. In order to study Odonata communities and their changes in an urbanization gradient, we were looking for adult Odonates in rivers and streams of different localities. In each site, we conducted a comprehensive characterization of vegetation, measured various physico-chemical properties of the water, and reported on characteristics of the urban environment. Subsequently, we documented the species of dragonflies and damselflies, along with the abundance of each species.

One of the places visited is located in Temixco (Morelos). Near a highway with a large traffic flow, we found a site with shrubs, trees, and herbaceous vegetation. The river was quite deteriorated due to garbage and waste discharge from nearby homes. There were even pieces of cloth on the trunks of the trees, several meters high, which during the rainy season were carried away by the current. Despite the contamination present in this site, during our sampling we were able to observe many individuals of the genera Hetaerina, Argia, Archilestes, Apanisagrion and Macrothemis. They took advantage of the remnants of aquatic and herbaceous vegetation, as well as some rocks, to perch and take in the sun rays that the tallest trees allowed to pass through.

 The location where the authors first saw the Helicopter Damselfly (Mecistogaster ornata) in 2019, Temixco (Morelos), México. Photo by Catalina M. Suárez Tovar, 2019.

An Unexpected Encounter

Iván's story: Among the 19 locations we visited for the project, it was in this very disturbed site where something unexpected happened. We were about to leave the site. I was looking around in search of more Odonates when I saw a damselfly descending from the nearest tree. The beating of its wings was hypnotic and erratic. It flew slowly, and its wings seemed to be shining because of the angle of the sunlight. It went down until it stopped a meter off the ground and a few centimeters from me.  It took me a moment to react. I tried to catch it with my net, but a bush was in the way. The damselfly slowly rose to the top of the same tree, with what seemed to me to be a carefree and indifferent flight towards my attempt to capture it. I had never seen this species! What was it?  I was surprised that I couldn't catch it despite its slow flight.

Cata’s story: Ivan told me at the end of the workday that he had seen an unusual damselfly.  He said, “It was a large damselfly. Each wing was about six cm long. It flew slowly and had yellow tips on its wings. It seemed to hypnotize me. When I tried to catch it with my net, it was already very high and I couldn't reach it anymore.” I immediately remembered the species records that we had reviewed before going out into the field and I told him: Mecistogaster ornata! I looked for some photos of the species, and when I showed it to him, he confirmed it. 

Helicopter Damselfly (Mecistogaster ornata), perched on a nearby grass and about to fly away, Cuernavaca (Morelos), México. Photo copyright Catalina M. Suárez Tovar.

These damselflies are typically found in the canopy, where prey such as spiders are abundant. They lay their eggs in accumulated water in tree trunks and inside bromeliad leaves. Such water-filled plant cavities are known as phytotelmata.  M. ornata is characterized by yellow spots at the tips of its wings, with a white stripe that outlines the spot, distinguishing it from the rest of the wing. Its flight is relatively slow, with each wing moving independently, resembling the rotation of a helicopter's blades. 

It had only come down from the canopy to visit us briefly, but it didn't get close enough to photograph it. From that moment on, the entire work group was attentive to the canopy at the sampling points that we visited in the following days. But we didn't find it again.

The Reunion

One year later, we visited the same locations to conduct samplings as in the previous year. This time we traveled with the precautions and restrictions derived from the Covid-19 pandemic. The city's roads and streets were almost empty, but the amount of waste in rivers and streams surrounded by homes was considerably higher than the previous year. The working group was a little larger than the year before.

Expedition group on their quest for the Helicopter Damselfly (Mecistogaster ornata), Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Photo taken with Catalina M. Suárez Tovar’s camera, 2020.

Why? Apart from this project, we were taking data for two more projects: one that evaluated the incidence of parasites in Zygopterans and another that sought to quantify color changes of Argia spp. that we found in the urbanization gradient that we had defined. 

We shared the experience of the previous year with the new members of the group. We also placed special emphasis on Mecistogaster, almost like a “Wanted!” advertisement. In this way we were all doing our work in the field, but we paid close attention to the canopy in order to identify the distinctive traits of the described species. 

We returned to the place where we had observed it the previous year, excited by the idea of finding it there again. Although we extended the sampling time in that place, we did not find it.

We continued our journey to a park within a residential area in Cuernavaca, Morelos, which was one of the last sampling places of the year.

Second expedition site in Cuernavaca, (Morelos), México, where the team would find the Helicopter Damselfly (Mecistogaster ornata).  Photo by Catalina M. Suárez Tovar, 2020.

Although the river was surrounded by a large number of trees and herbaceous vegetation, we recorded the presence of waste coming from homes in different parts of the river. We divided up to make observations on different transects. Suddenly we heard a shout! Our friend Xavi saw it flying. He immediately caught it! We all stopped our observations and ran to him, where we could closely observe and photograph M. ornata. 

Iván with the Helicopter Damselfly (Mecistogaster ornata) individual,  Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. Photo by Catalina M. Suárez Tovar, 2020. 

It was a female who seemed calm despite being the focus of attention of seven humans who observed and photographed her at the same time. After a brief talk about the natural history of this species, including a discussion of the oddity of discovering a species typical of tropical forests in two of the most urbanized locations on our tour, we let it fly away. 

Cata Suárez with the Helicopter Damselfly (Mecistogaster ornata), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. Photo by Ulises Castillo Pérez, 2020.

First, she perched on some tall grasses near the spot where we were gathered to observe her. Then, she continued her wandering flight. A few meters later, she encountered another member of her species. From afar, we saw the yellow spots on its wings appear and disappear above the tallest trees.

We were all in awe of our close encounter with this giant damselfly.

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Catalina M. Suárez Tovar is a Colombian biologist passionate about the study of dragonflies and science communication. She does her postgraduate studies in Mexico, where she studies topics related to the evolutionary ecology and conservation of this beautiful group of insects. She is currently finishing her doctoral project where she studied the impact of urbanization on dragonfly and damselfly communities and identified the adaptations of some species to urban environments.

Iván Sandoval García is a master´s degree student specializing in the interactions between beetles and millipedes and their symbionts or parasites. Although he is not an expert in Odonata, fieldwork involving them is his favorite because he finds everything about them astonishing.

Species of the Month

November Species of the Month: River Jewelwing (Calopteryx aequabilis)

This month’s DSA species’ focus is the River Jewelwing (Calopteryx aequabilis). They are in the family Calopterygidae, known as the broad-winged damselflies. River Jewelwings are large damselflies, measuring a little over one-and-a-half inches to a little more than two inches (43-54 mm), and distributed widely across parts of southern Canada and the northern United States. Read on to hear veteran dragonfly chaser and former DSA officer Steve Valley tell about his close encounters with the species. 

The Jewels of Cox Creek

Many years ago, I had given up on finding interesting odonates on Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park in Albany, Oregon, because it was heavily impacted by human activity. The creek is channeled between farm fields as it flows across the Willamette Valley, picking up agricultural runoff. In Timber Linn Park, it flows into a small man-made lake that has a large population of ducks and geese, and also hosted a “timber carnival” with all sorts of water-based human activities, from 1941-2000.  

Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon is a little odonate wilderness in a city. Photo by Steve Valley, 2023.

Over the years, all the interesting odonate habitats in my area had become filled in or degraded with pollution and/or invasive plants. Then, several years ago, I discovered a nice population of River Jewelwings (Calopteryx aequabilis) on Cox Creek. It’s a fitting name for the genus: Calopteryx: from the Greek means "kalos" (beautiful), and "pteron" translates as wing or feather.

Prior to this discovery the nearest population was 30 minutes to an hour’s drive away from my home. Now I had them on a little stream five minutes from home. Not only were there Jewelwings, but also American Rubyspots (Hetaerina americana).

A male Calopteryx aequabilis perched on a yellow flower. I have tried getting shots of one perched on these yellow flowers for 4 seasons and finally got as close as I could focus for about 10 minutes! Photo by Steve Valley 5-Jul-2023, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

A female Calopteryx aequabilis perched on a willow leaf surveys her territory. Photo by Steve Valley 15-Jul-2022, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

Cox Creek has turned out to be very productive, with a rich species diversity for a habitat surrounded by a city, next to a small local airport and a freeway. There, at the stream—wading, observing, and photographing—it is almost as if I have been transported to my own little wilderness.

River Jewelwings are large damselflies with dark semi-translucent wings. Both sexes have structural metallic colored bodies with the male being predominantly dark bluish green and the female being a lighter bronzy green. Structural colors are caused by the refraction of certain colors of light rather than being from colored pigments, but in insects pigments are often involved also. The wings of the males are black on the distal half beyond the nodus and a smoky translucent on the proximal half. The costa vein is also metallic bluish green. The female’s wings are dark, smoky and translucent with a white pseudostigma located where you would find the stigma in other damselfly species’ wings. Both sexes use the wings for various displays (stay tuned!).

An immature female, note the light colored eyes and subtle metallic colors on the face and the distinctive antennae with the L-shaped scape. Photo by Steve Valley 24-May-2022, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

A mature female, note the eyes have darkened and the metallic areas on the face have shifted to mostly reddish and much of the face has darkened including part of the antennae scape. A slight shift in perspective also shows the lightening of the area around the mouth. Photo by Steve Valley 14-Aug-2023, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

An immature male with light orange eyes and fairly bright metallic areas of the face. Photo by Steve Valley 16-May-2023, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

A mature male, note the eyes have darkened to almost black and much of the face has darkened as well. Photo by Steve Valley 20-Jul-2022, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

I have been fortunate to see all five North American Jewelwing species. All are large, showy damselflies with complex behaviors. In 2020, early in the Covid pandemic,  I started visiting Cox Creek daily with my camera, attempting to shoot any odonates that would let me approach closely. I had lots of time to closely observe the River Jewelwings, which can be amazingly wary, but it did seem that they slowly became acclimatized to my presence.

I was surprised when the Cox Creek population turned out to be the largest, densest population of River Jewelwings I have ever encountered. They were usually the earliest species I would see in the mornings, and stayed active until six to seven pm. I primarily concentrated my observations along a 200 meter length of stream (about 650 feet), but spent about 75 percent of my time on a 50 meter (about 164 feet) stretch in the middle of that. I noted that some males seemed to defend the same territories on multiple sequential days, sometimes from the same favored perch. While perched, both males and females will occasionally flare their wings open and closed.

A male flares its wings. Photo by Steve Valley 30-Jun-2022, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

Sometimes it seems to be a display in response to members of the same sex perching nearby, but other times there is not an obvious (to me) target of the display.

Both sexes also often slide their abdomen up between their wings (I call this the “wing envelope” posture), but I don’t know if this pose is a display for nearby River Jewelwings or perhaps a way of regulating abdomen temperature.

A male in the “wing envelope” posture that seems to be their default preferred resting position. Photo by Steve Valley 30-Jun-2022, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

Males are aggressively territorial with other males and will lunge at rival males that land nearby. These interactions can escalate into aerial dogfights that may last up to 10 minutes. They may be joined by males in adjacent territories, and include intricate high-speed chases which can cover 30 meters (about 100 feet) of stream length. Sometimes peripheral males will sneak in and try to occupy the territory while the residents are distracted. 

Males perform a distinctive display directly in front of and very close to females where they hover, bobbing up and down slightly. The pattern of wingbeats when they are doing this maneuver is distinct from all other flight and it is usually performed close to the water surface. Then occasionally, the male will balance on the tips of his hindwings on the water surface in a truly extraordinary “cross display”.

A male performs the cross display where he balances on the tips of his hindwings on the surface of the water. This amazing shot was made by Steve Russell who wrote: “A male River Jewelwing damselfly does his best to entice the female he is chasing to mate with him. Having witnessed this many times now, I am certain that he skims his wings on the water on purpose as part of the "dance." Alas, she rebuffed him and he returned to his strategic perch ready to try again. Photo by Steve Russell 3-Jul-2023, , Black River, Grays Harbor Co., Washington.

We can speculate about how this suite of behaviors developed and evolved, but it looks like fertile ground for more observations and experimentation.

Females also seem to exhibit territorial behavior toward neighboring females by hopping around and landing near intruding females and making frequent wing flare displays.

A young female starts to flare her wings at a nearby female. Photo by Steve Valley 29-Jun-2022, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

I have also observed females landing in front of males and displaying. They often perch just a bit above the male. Over the course of five to 15 minutes, they will hop down closer until the male flies up and grasps her to copulate.

A female approaches a male from above as he displays just prior to copulation. Photo by Steve Valley 16-Jul-2022, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

Copulation can last for more than an hour. The male will lead the female in tandem down to the portion of the stream where he wants her to oviposit. She then submerges and will spend 10-30 minutes clinging to the plant and ovipositing under the watchful eyes of her mate. On Cox Creek, the eggs are inserted into submerged plants that are rooted in the stream bottom and wave in the current, occasionally reaching the surface where she will land. 

I watched a lone female enter a male’s territory and attempt to oviposit, only to be attacked by the male who hovered in front of her and repeatedly bumped her until she flew off. His female immediately landed and began ovipositing while I photographed her.

A female oviposits while completely submerged, often for 30 minutes or more, with a bubble of air trapped between her wings that acts as an aqualung. The male usually is perched nearby the whole time observing. Photo by Steve Valley 22-Jul-2022, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

A female oviposits while completely submerged, often for 30 minutes or more, with a bubble of air trapped between her wings that acts as an aqualung. The male usually is perched nearby the whole time observing. Photo by Steve Valley 22-Jul-2022, Cox Creek in Timber Linn Park, Albany, Oregon.

After observing this population for four seasons, I have the impression that at least some pairs form a pair-bond that endures for multiple days. In 2024, I hope to conduct marking studies to confirm or refute that hypothesis and to broaden my understanding of River Jewelwing adult behavior dynamics.

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Steve Valley is a founding member of DSA, and served as its secretary for many years. He started studying odonates in the 1950s and photographing them in the 1960s when he was a teenager. He was an entomologist and insect imaging specialist at the Oregon Department of Agriculture for many years, and a pioneer in the field of extreme macro focus stacking using high resolution microscope optics and cutting edge digital cameras. Since his retirement in 2017, he has concentrated his extreme macro work on odonates rather than invasive pest insects with his own custom built imaging system. He lives in Albany, Oregon with his wife Robin.

Steve would like to express his thanks to his wife, Robin, for proofreading and suggestions, and to Steve Russell for permission to use his spectacular photo included in this post.

ARGIA 35(3) is Available for Download

ARGIA 35(3) is Available for Download

The latest issue of ARGIA, the DSA's quarterly news journal, is available on the DSA's website.

This issue of ARGIA contains:

A summary of all that occurred at the 2023 DSA Annual Meeting in Oklahoma.

The minutes from the Business Meeting at the Annual Meeting.

The next Nymph Cove installment, which discusses how to differentiate between the different genera of Corduliidae

Some wonderful photographs of odes in, on, and under the water.

And more!

DSA members can login to download the issue.

Jim Johnson, the DSA Secretary, has kindly agreed to take over the ARGIA layout for me and this is the first issue that we have completed together, so we are working through some growing pains and apologize for the tardiness of the issue.

Amanda Whispell
Editor-in-chief of ARGIA

Species of the Month

October Species of the Month: Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni)

October’s DSA Species of the Month is the Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni).  The Petaltails (so called due to the broad, flat claspers of males that resemble flower petals) are a group of 11 species found in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Japan and North America. The Black Petaltail—​​a mid-sized dragonfly, 5.3-5.9 mm (~2 inches) in length–is found from southern British Columbia in Canada, through western Washington and Oregon, and into California as far south as Sequoia National Park.  They are associated with many mountain ranges in these regions: the Cascades, Olympics, Coast Range, Klamaths, and Sierra Nevadas.  Their habitats are often found at mid-elevations, 3,000-4,000 ft (900-1200m), but can reach 8,000 ft (2400 m), especially in the southern end of their distribution. Here we’ll explore the ecology and life history of these dragonflies with DSA President Chris Beatty.

A Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) adult perched on a cobra lily (Darlingtonia californica).  Photo by Cary Kerst (Probably Josephine County, Oregon 2009).

In a Hole in the Ground…

In a hole in the ground there lived a…dragonfly?  Not exactly the way that J.R.R. Tolkien begins The Hobbit, but true enough for our topic today, the Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni).

Over the last 15 years I spent many summer days exploring the seeps and wet meadows of northern California and western Oregon looking for this species. My search often begins by looking for holes in the ground.

A view of Cherry Hill Meadow in Lassen National Forest, Butte County, California.  Wet meadows like these are a primary habitat for Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) nymphs.  Photo by Christopher Beatty, 2010.

Petaltails are an odd group of dragonflies in many ways.  Their nymphs, while aquatic like other dragonflies, live in seepy stream banks and sunny meadows, where springs keep the ground saturated with cool water.  If you take a walk across these meadows be prepared to get your feet wet; each footfall will land with a ‘squelch’, and your footprint will rapidly fill with water.  You will also find thick layers of moss, and often carnivorous plants like sundew (Drosera sp.) or the cobra lily (Darlingtonia californica).  As you scout around, bent over to see the ground clearly, you will from time to time find a small round opening. That’s the entrance to the burrow home of a Black Petaltail nymph.

Like most other petaltail species, Black Petaltail nymphs dig and maintain these burrows throughout their lives, clearing them out and expanding them as they grow larger.  Depending on the type of substrate, these burrows may go down as much as half a meter (about one and a half feet), and sometimes have small chambers at the bottom.  The burrow fills with water from the saturated soil, so the nymphs are still aquatic.  Two other petaltail species, the Gray Petaltail (Tachopteryx thoreyi) and the Chilean Petaltail (Phenes raptor) appear to have given up this burrowing behavior. They still live in fens and seeps, under leaves and other detritus at the surface, coming awfully close to being terrestrial nymphs.

Up-close view of a Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) burrow entrance.  The entrance is approximately 1 cm in diameter.  Photo by Christopher Beatty, 2010.

A Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) nymph recently extracted from its burrow by Katie Harding.  Photo by Christopher Beatty, 2010.

Another odd thing about Petaltails is how long they live.  Most species are thought to spend several years as a nymph. The Black Petaltail is estimated to take five years from egg to adult, a very long time indeed for a dragonfly!  At the end of that long period of time they emerge like other dragonflies, flying for six to eight weeks or possibly more in a favorable season. The adult Black Petaltail is black-brown with yellow markings on the thorax and abdomen, a cream face, and brown eyes set apart on its head. Petaltails like to land on light colored surfaces, like boulders or old dried logs.  They are very docile, and will often settle on your hat, shirtsleeve or net, especially if you are wearing light colored clothing.  They are often observed landing on tree trunks, especially later in the day.

A Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) adult catching a ride on the author’s backpack.  Photo by Christofer Brothers, 2023.

A Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) adult finds another good perch. Photo by Christofer Brothers, 2023.

The Petaltails are suggested to be a very old family, as much as 160 million years, and the Black Petaltail is estimated to have separated from its sister species in Japan (Tanypteryx pryeri) around 70 million years ago, making them very old species—even older than the mountains they live in.  Maybe even older than old Smaug, the great dragon of Middle Earth, himself.

Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) adult perched on a tree trunk.  Photo by Ethan Tolman, 2023.

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Our October contributor, Christopher Beatty, is an evolutionary ecologist who works with dragonflies and damselflies. His research has taken him to sites in the U.S. and Canada, as well as Spain, Portugal, Kenya, Peru, Colombia, the Fiji Islands and New Zealand. He is a co-editor of the 2 nd edition of Dragonflies and Damselflies: Model Organisms for Ecological and Evolutionary Research with Oxford University Press. He is also a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University. He lives in California with his wife Katie and their son Thomas.

Species of the Month

September Species of the Month: Pondhawks of REGUA (Erythemis sp.)

September’s DSA Species of the Month is a look at several of the Pondhawks of Brazil. There are ten species of pondhawks (Erythemis sp.) world-wide, and Brazil is home to at least eight of them. Pondhawks range in size from 38 mm (approximately 1 ½ inches) to about 59 mm (approximately 2 ⅓ inches) Dennis Paulson notes that members of this genus are voracious predators. You may find them in ponds, marshes, or even (as our blogger did) in some surprising places! Join dragonfly chaser Kim Smith as she encounters pondhawks on an adventure in Brazil.

Claret Pondhawk (Erythemis mithroides), Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu, Brazil, 1-17-23. Copyright Kim Smith.

Pondhawks of REGUA (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu), Brazil

In January, I left my Ohio home in the Midwestern United States to spend a week watching Odonata at Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA). REGUA is located in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, not far from Rio de Janeiro. They are restoring  18,000 acres from degraded farmland to native forest and wetlands. It seems to be a magnificent success—REGUA has documented 200 species of Odonata! The lodge rooms are simple, but very comfortable. The food was a series of tasty Brazilian dishes.

While I traveled solo,  and was able to roam their extensive trail system safely without a guide,  I chose to take advantage of their knowledgeable and friendly guides twice. We traveled to locations outside of the preserve for even more variety. 

Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA), Brazil January 2023. Copyright Kim Smith.

Of the many beautiful species I saw for the first time on this trip, I was particularly enchanted by the pondhawks. In my home state of Ohio, we only have one Erythemis species, the Eastern Pondhawk (E. simplicicollis). There are ten species of this genus worldwide, and eight of them are known from REGUA.

Prior to leaving for Brazil, I’d purchased Tom Kompier’s wonderful A Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Serra dos Orgaos, and hoped to find as many species as possible. Despite my low tolerance for the extreme heat, and heavy afternoon rains that kept me indoors, I was able to document four pondhawk species on my trip.

Dragonfly Guide by Kompier

Pondhawks are skimmers known for their frequent taking of larger prey insects including other dragonflies. Also of note, according to odonata expert Dennis Paulson, obelisking for temperature regulation has not been observed among the members of this genus. The habitats I visited were all ponds with emergent and floating vegetation, and so were prime hunting territory for Erythemis. I saw many individuals at most locations, but my only Great Pondhawk ( E. vesiculosa) observation was at a roadside puddle.

Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa), Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu, Brazil, 1-19-23. Copyright Kim Smith.

I spent a couple days exploring the main wetlands at REGUA, which hosted large numbers of two species with blazing red abdomens, impossible to miss as they seemed to glow under cloudy skies. Red isn’t a common color among my local Ohio Odonata, and occurs primarily in the meadowhawks (Sympetrum sp.). But our red meadowhawks’ abdomens are marked with black along the sides, whereas the Flame-tailed Pondhawks (E. peruviana) and Claret Pondhawks (E. mithroides) in Brazil had solid red abdomens that screamed, “Look at me!” 

Claret Pondhawk (Erythemis mithroides), Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu, Brazil, 1-17-23. Copyright Kim Smith.

The Flame-tailed was particularly striking with its clearly divided black and red portions, as if someone had held its head and dipped the abdomen in scarlet paint right up to S3.

Flame-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis peruviana), Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu, Brazil, 1-16-23. Copyright Kim Smith.

The last species I photographed was also abundant, although less colorful. The Pin-tailed Pondhawks (E. plebeja) were busily chasing each other around, and I observed several females ovipositing while guarded by hovering males.

Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja), Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu, Brazil, 1-16-23. Copyright Kim Smith.

While it's endlessly fascinating to see new species on my travels, it's also a comfort to return home to my familiar odonates. These days, whenever I watch our Eastern Pondhawk at local ponds, I have fond memories of its colorful relatives in Brazil.

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Our guest blogger for September is Kim Smith, an Odonata enthusiast in Toledo, Ohio. Kim leads local field trips to share her love of dragonflies and writes about them at NatureIsMyTherapy.com.  She recently served as the President of Toledo Naturalists’ Association and is on the board of the Oak Openings Region chapter of Wild Ones, a nonprofit that educates the public about the ecological importance of native plants. For more information on REGUA, visit  regua.org and learn more about this great dragonfly destination.

Species of the Month

August Species of the Month: Four-Spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata)

August’s DSA’s species of the month is the Four-Spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata). It is in the Skimmers Family (Libellulidae), considered North America’s largest dragonfly family, with more than 1,000 species worldwide. Measuring about 43 mm long (1.7 inches), they are often found in ponds, lakes, and slow streams. Its range includes North America, Japan, Europe, and Northwestern Africa. Join professional photographer Vic Berardi as he and his wife, Ann, experience an unusual dragonfly adventure.

Four-Spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata), Sand Pond, Illinois Beach State Park, Zion, IL June 23, 2023. (Copyright Vic Berardi)

An Explosion of Four-spotted Skimmers

One might think a writeup about the Four-spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata) wouldn’t be all that special. However, when you see over 200 of them in a relatively small area you realize something different is happening.

Sand Pond, Illinois Beach State Park, Zion, IL June 23, 2023. (Copyright Vic Berardi)

On June 23, 2023 my wife Ann and I went to Sand Pond, part of the northern unit of Illinois Beach State Park near Zion, IL, about 20 minutes from our home. Lake County describes Sand Pond as a 20-acre glacial lake that empties into Kellogg Creek, and eventually, Lake Michigan. That day, the forecast called for rain. Instead, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. 

Four-Spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata), Sand Pond, Illinois Beach State Park, Zion, IL, June 23, 2023. (Copyright Vic Berardi)

As soon as we got out of our vehicle I noticed several Four-spotted Skimmers flying overhead.  When we started down the trail, we saw even more. The pond has a maximum depth of nine and half feet, and almost a mile of shoreline trail around its perimeter. The open places along the shoreline are usually full of fishermen, but there were only a few out that day. That made it easy to walk into the openings and look for more dragonflies. 

Dot-tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta) on the left; Four-Spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata) on the right; Sand Pond, Illinois Beach State Park, Zion, IL June 23, 2023. (Copyright Vic Berardi)

At every opening to the shoreline we saw Four-spotted Skimmers.  I began a very conservative count. By the time we went full circle, I estimated we saw at least 200 of them! It was just incredible. I took many photos, and  I wanted to get more of multiple perched Four-spotted Skimmers. However, the photographer part of me wouldn’t allow anything blurred in a photo and besides, they didn’t stay perched very long in any one spot.

Two Four-Spotted Skimmers (Libellula quadrimaculata), Sand Pond, Illinois Beach State Park, Zion, IL  June 23, 2023. (Copyright Vic Berardi)

The Four-spotted Skimmers appeared close to teneral. Their wings were in very good shape and they flew into spots that were underneath the branches and leaves of the bushes along the shoreline. None appeared to be flying with any power.

Four-Spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata), Sand Pond, Illinois Beach State Park, Zion, IL, June 23, 2023. (Copyright Vic Berardi)

Ann and I are far from calling ourselves dragonfly experts. We just like to watch them, learn about them, and take photos of them whenever we can. However, after seeing so many Four-spotted Skimmers I was curious. When we got home, I read more about Four-spotted Skimmers and learned they are circumpolar, and are found around the northern hemisphere including Europe and the north Asian continent including Japan. In other parts of the world, they are referred to as the Four-spotted Chaser, with the same scientific name.

Four-Spotted Skimmer, Sand Pond, Illinois Beach State Park, Zion, IL, June 23, 2023.  (Copyright Ann Berardi)

On social media, I saw that Ohio was having an explosion of Four-spotted Skimmers. Was that what was happening at Sand Pond? I don’t know! But, I would like to think we were seeing a large emergence year for them. We later saw a small swarm of Four-spotted Skimmers in Door County, part of northeastern Wisconsin, near Lake Michigan. 

It makes me wonder. What is going on?

Vic Berardi, Sand Pond, Illinois Beach State Park, Zion, IL (copyright Ann Berardi) June 23, 2023.

Our August contributor, Vic Berardi,  is an avid photographer and raptor enthusiast, especially in the fall when he spends many hours hawkwatching at the Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch. But in summer he and his wife Ann enjoy observing and learning all they can about dragonflies. They enjoy everything from visiting ponds close to home to week-long trips up to Door County, WI, to look for and photograph the Hine’s Emerald, (Somatochlora hineana). Contact him at  vbirdman@aol.com.

ARGIA 35(2) is available for download on the DSA website

The latest issue of ARGIA is available on the DSA website

This issue contains:

• The first president’s note from our new DSA president, Christopher Beatty.

• In memoriam sections dedicated to both Richard Rowe and Carl Cook.

• Our very first French-language article by authors Michel Savard and Alain Mochon.

• The next Nymph Cove installment, the second half of the Aeshnidae identification (also available for free on the DSA website)

DSA members can login to download the issue.

Amanda Whispell

Editor-in-chief of ARGIA

Species of the Month

July Species of the Month: Minagrion caldense

DSA’s July “Species of the Month” is Minagrion caldense (no common name),  a rare species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. The genus’ five species are found from Northeast Argentina to northern Brazil; this species is only found in Brazil. The various species range from about one-and-a-quarter inches to two-and-a-quarter inches (31-57mm), and are found in slow streams and swampy areas. Follow Brazilian dragonfly chaser Diogo Vilela as he seeks to learn more about this intriguing insect.

Minagrion caldense, young female, November 2018 (copyright Diogo Vilela).

Minagrion caldense

One of the most intriguing and rare species of the Neotropical genus Minagrion is M. caldense, which was described in 1965 from Poços de Caldas (hence, caldense), Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Less than 40 specimens were collected in the 60’s by Professor Newton Santos and no further collections of this species were made in the following decades. This makes M. caldense an enigmatic and rare species, as it was never seen in another location other than Poços de Caldas. 

In 2002, the late Professor Ângelo Machado and his colleague Lúcio Bedê performed a survey in Serra da Canastra National Park (SCNP, ca. 300km from Poços de Caldas), where they collected some specimens of M. caldense, and also found an intriguing “new species” of Minagrion, which they later described as “Minagrion franciscoi” (Machado & Bedê, 2016), based only on males.

 Serra da Canastra National Park, November 2018, (Copyright Diogo Vilela).

During my PhD, I aimed to describe hitherto unknown females, in order to straighten their taxonomy and enable identification in absence of males. Then, our laboratory went to a series of field trips to Serra da Canastra, totaling five expeditions between 2018 and 2020. It was an amazing experience to explore all areas of the park, where we found new species, new records, larvae and…undescribed females!

It was such a thrill when we finally found the female of “Minagrion franciscoi”, a robust Coenagrionidae that stands out next to the small Homeoura, Acanthagrion and Franciscobasis that shares the same habitat. However, in the midst of all excitement of our new findings, we started to see some major resemblances between “M. franciscoi” and the enigmatic M. caldense and realized that perhaps we were dealing with the same species. In his description of M. caldense, Santos stated that the male abdominal segments seven and eight were darker in relation to the others. In the same region, M. franciscoi had also darker coloration, with the addition of two gorgeous blue dorsal spots, that were the main character to separate “M. franciscoi” from the other Congeners. 

Minagrion caldense, teneral female, Serra da Canastra National Park, November 2018, (Copyright Diogo Vilela).

Santos described females as having the same subtle color changes as the males. Based on Santos’s description, we went further in our analysis: (i) we visited the Museu Nacional of Rio de Janeiro (destroyed by a fire in 2018), two months before the tragedy, and took photos of the holotype of M. caldense to perform the morphological comparison with M. franciscoi; (ii) as we haven’t spotted any mating event, we performed a molecular analysis to associate the males of M. franciscoi with the females; (iii) we performed a dissection analysis on the collected females, to determine which were young and mature by the presence/absence of eggs. 

Our results show that “M. franciscoi” was, in fact, a junior synonym of M. caldense, and our female analysis demonstrate that the females went through a severe coloration change during their ontogenetic development, being yellowish/orange as young, and with a beautiful blue/black pattern when mature. Additionally, young males do not present the blue abdominal spots. Perhaps Santos dealt only with young ones.

Male of “Minagrion franciscoi”, later discovered to be a junior synonym of M. caldense, November 2018 (Copyright Diogo Vilela).

Females of Minagrion caldense: above, the body coloration of the young female; below, the same for the mature female November 2018 (Ccopyright Diogo Vilela).

Despite all our studies, we still have several gaps to fill in our understanding of Minagrion: the larvae are unknown, ontogenetic color changes are not known to other species of the genus, and the knowledge on their behavior are very poor. This species is currently assessed as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, due its restricted range of occurrence and for occurring in a single protected area, where it might be threatened by ecotourism.

Diogo Vilela, Serra da Canastra National Park, November 2018 (Copyright Rhainer Ferreira).

It was such a great experience working so closely with this species. I find them fantastic!

Diogo Vilela is a Brazilian odonatologist. He studies dragonflies since 2010, and ever since he published studies on behavioral ecology, distribution and taxonomy, where most of his contributions are concentrated. Contact him at deeogoo@gmail.com

Species of the Month

June Species of the Month: Dot-tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta)

June’s DSA species of the month is the Dot-tailed whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta). Part of the large family Libellulidae (the skimmers or perchers), it is on the small side for dragonflies, at about an inch to an inch-and-a-quarter long (approximately 29-33 mm). Look for it in lakes and ponds from southern Canada, south to Kentucky, east to Nova Scotia and west to California (dipping down into New Mexico). Follow Illinois dragonfly chaser  Gail Chastain as she looks for this common---but also sometimes elusive---species.

The Search for the Dot-tailed Whiteface

Field guides say that the Dot-tailed Whiteface dragonfly is common throughout southern Canada and the northern parts of the United States. I would not debate these experts, it’s just that although my husband, Steve, and I monitor a number of places in Illinois, we have not seen them at any of our sites. So, for the last few years we have traveled up to LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St Charles, IL, about 45 miles west of Chicago, to find them. Leroy Oakes has a variety of natural features; prairie, woodland, creek, seeps and more. It’s not too far from where we live in Wheaton, IL, and they seem to have a nice population.

Dot-tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta), LeRoy Oakes, FP (2021). Photo by Gail Chastain.

As its family name indicates, the Dot-tailed Whiteface can be seen perching on objects during the day. There are seven Whitefaced  Leucorrhinia species in the United States with the Dot-tailed Whiteface being the most widespread, found in 34 states in the U.S.,  and 10 Canadian provinces. Its conservation status changes with location, but overall it is considered to be abundant and secure.

Leucorrhinia is an appropriate name of this group of dragonflies. Leuco comes from the Greek meaning “white” as in leukocyte,  the white blood cell. Rhina also comes from the ancient Greek meaning “nose.” The Dot-tailed species name intacta is a little more difficult. Intacta is from the Latin for “unblemished/chaste”. One suggestion I found when I investigated was that this referred to the lone spot on the male, but there is nothing to support this. So, I guess we can make up what we want!

The Dot-tailed Whiteface has a very apt common name. The male generally has a solid black body and legs, and both a yellow dot on the seventh segment of the abdomen,  a creamy white face, and a small black basal wing spot.

Dot-tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta), LeRoy Oakes, FP (2002). Photo by Gail Chastain.

The female Is more colorful. She has multiple yellow spots along the dorsal and side of the abdomen, and the last yellow spot on segment seven may be large and square-shaped.  Females also have yellow stripes on the side (lateral surface) of segments of three and four. As the female matures, the dorsal spots will fade. When this happens, it’s easy to confuse females with males. Some females will also have a conspicuous amber patch where the wing attaches to the thorax.

Female Dot-tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta), LeRoy Oakes, FB (2021). Photo by Gail Chastain.

Why are they at Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve, and not in other areas where we monitor closer to home?  Probably because of the quiet waters in this preserve, which is their preferred environment.

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), On Quiet Pond, LeRoy Oakes, FP (2021). Gail Chastain.

These dragonflies look for wetlands such as bogs, marshes, swamps, sloughs and very slow streams with low aquatic plants to perch on. You can find them basking on the lily leaves on the water, or on vegetation nearby.

Dot-tailed Whiteface on water Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis scorpiodes), LeRoy Oakes, FB (2021). Photo by Gail Chastain.

Dot-tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta), LeRoy Oakes, FP. Photo by Gail Chastain.

The Dot-tailed Whiteface dragonfly emerges in late spring here in Illinois, and flies a good part of the summer. You won’t have to look up for them! They don’t fly very high. With a territory that may be only four yards wide, they don’t fly very far, either. They prefer to stay near the water.

Dot-tailed Whiteface on Water-Lily (Nupar lutea), LeRoy Oakes, FP (2021). Photo by Gail Chastain.

Although the Dot-tailed Whiteface is not necessarily an active defender of its territory, the male will actively guard the female he has mated with while she lays her eggs by flying above her as she oviposits. The males may also grab or clasp other males in a behavior that is called “karate guarding,” and will hold them in tandem to keep that intruding male away from a female.

Dot-tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta), LeRoy Oakes, FP (2021). Photo by Gail Chastain.

It’s a fun dragonfly to find and photograph. The bonus is that when we do find the Dot-tailed Whiteface dragonfly, we find so much more.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) LeRoy Oakes FP. Photo by Gail Chastain.

Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans). LeRoy Oakes FP 2021. Photo by Gail Chastain.

Just one of the many perks of dragonfly chasing!  

Gail Chastain has been an avid naturalist and photographer for most of her life but retirement allowed her to further these interests. In 2012, Gail started a wildlife monitoring project at Fermilab in Batavia, IL. Later, her focus changed to insect monitoring with her husband Steve Baginski. Since 2018, Gail and Steve have been  Odonata monitors with the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL, at multiple sites.