Insects need heat to be active, some more than others. But they can also overheat. One way that dragonflies (odes) may cope with excessive heat is to obelisk. What?! If you know that the Washington Monument is an obelisk, then you may be able to understand why this behavior (above) is called obelisking. The dragonfly sticks its abdomen straight up into the air. Why does it do this? Well, the thought is that the dragonfly points its abdomen at theRead more
Posts tagged: #dragonfly
Skimmers
Two skimmers have begun to show themselves around the Wetlands. They are the Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) and the Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicollis). These two dragonfly species can be seen at nearly every pond or river in the state so there’s nothing unusual about their appearance. In fact, they’re two of the most common and familiar of all dragonfly species. What their appearance does do is mark the passing of the season. Most of the early season dragonflies have comeRead more
New Beginnings
While closing the outdoor areas on Thursday April 12, I noticed a small object projecting from the block wall of the Vending Area/Restrooms in Explore the Wild. I at first thought it a wad of gum or candy stuck there by one of the hundreds of school children on campus that day (stuck there by accident, of course). After putting on my reading glasses I realized that the gum was actually a dragonfly emerging from its nymphal skin. Thinking aboutRead more
Catching Up
As predicted, dragonflies have been steadily emerging from the deep. I’ve seen numerous Common Whitetails and Common Baskettails, fresh out of their nymphal skins, fly off to a safe place to further dry and harden before starting their life cycles anew; feeding, mating, and ovipositing in the Wetlands. Hatchling Yellow-bellied Sliders continue to be seen hiking down the paths and trails of the Museum heading for the Wetlands or other suitable bodies of water in which to take up residence.Read more
Confused Comet
Last month the Exhibits Department drained, cleaned, and resurfaced the lining of the Sailboat Pond. So, what does all this have to do with a comet? Since refilling the pond with water there has been much dragonfly activity at that small body of water. I couldn’t help but notice a few Comet Darners (Anax longipes) flying about with the Blue Dashers, Carolina Saddlebags, Widow Skimmers and other “lesser” odes. One of these large green and red darners flying around theRead more
Summer Starts to Buzz
The First-of-the-Year Great Blue Skimmer appeared on the 27th of June, perhaps adding to the confusion of novice oders (oders = dragonfly watchers). There are now 3 species of dragonfly cruising the Wetlands in which the mature males are overall blue in coloration. They differ in size as well as in several less obvious characteristics, but to the beginner it can be a tad confusing to sort them out, especially if they’re not perched next to one another. While leadingRead more
A Widow, Mourning Cloaks, Pugs, and Hairstreaks
A Widow Skimmer (dragonfly) was seen in Catch the Wind on 24 May for the first sighting of the species this season. This sighting was a week or so earlier than last year’s first occurrence (see Widow Skimmer, Explore the Wild Journal, June 1-15, 2008). Over the past few weeks I’ve seen at least one, often more, fresh Mourning Cloaks flying about on each day that I was on site. Could these fresh butterflies be the results of the colonyRead more