COLUMN: Amazing dragonflies

     This month one of our weekend virtual programs highlighted amazing dragonflies. These fast-flying acrobatic insects are truly amazing and at times highly visible. Summer feeding swarms and fall migratory dragonfly species on the move easily gain our attention, but lazy days spent fishing or floating on Iowa’s waterways, lakes, and ponds can offer close up encounters with this amazing insect.

     Dragonflies belong to the Odonata order of insects, which includes more than 5,000 species of dragonflies and damselflies worldwide. Odonata, in Latin, refers to the strong teeth found on the mandibles of most species. Over 447 species can be found in the United States with 51 species recorded in Jones County according to the Iowa Odonata survey. It takes a little effort, but when you concentrate on watching them you can see the different colors and patterns of each individual species. Sometimes colors and patterns even vary from male to female.

     Dragonflies can typically be observed near ponds, lakes, wetlands, and slow-moving streams or rivers. Males of many species will have defined territories in these locations and can easily be observed patrolling their area or sitting perched on a high stick or plant within their territory. Noticing this may require a comfy chair or boat cushion and some quiet time near the water, on your deck, or just in your own backyard. You might notice the territorial male chasing away other intruding males and courting receptive females. Depending on the species, female dragonflies will lay their eggs in the water, on a plant, or in the mud along the water’s edge.

     Most dragonfly eggs will hatch during the summer, although some will overwinter in the egg stage. Larvae, called nymphs, emerge from the eggs and try to blend in with their underwater environment, where they will live and hunt for aquatic insects, larvae, small fish, and tadpoles as they grow. Nymphs can take anywhere from one to seven years underwater growing and repeatedly shedding their skin. When they are ready to shed their skin the final time they emerge from the water and attach to a stick, dock, tree, plant, or rock. The nymph’s skin then splits open and out crawls a fully developed adult dragonfly. After a few hours of uncurling and pumping fluid into its wings to dry, it will be ready for its first flight.

     Dragonflies can be observed throughout the summer, but if you are in the right place at the right time you might see one of natures spectacular treats – a “dragonfly swarm.” Hundreds and sometimes thousands of dragonflies, often times made up of multiple species, flying together in a well-defined area make up a swarm. These foraging swarms form for the common purpose of catching and eating an abundant food source. Here in Iowa this is usually a hatch of flying ants, an abundance of gnats, midges, and sometimes mosquitoes.

     There are a few species of dragonflies, especially the common green darner, which will migrate as fall arrives. Some of the swarming behavior from August through October will be from dragonflies migrating. Although with this behavior you will notice a very directional oriented flight pattern. It is interesting to note that many people observe migrating dragonflies at the same time that they notice migrating monarch butterflies, both of which seem to migrate associated with the passage of fall cold fronts.

     Relatively little is known about dragonfly migrations and dragonfly migration research is ongoing. Citizen reports are especially helpful. If you are interested in learning more about Iowa’s dragonflies, visit the Iowa Odonata website at http://www.iowaodes.org/ where you can find a species list by county as well as great images and detailed information on each species. To report migratory dragonfly sightings, visit the Migratory Dragonfly Partnership website at http://www.migratorydragonflypartnership.org.

     Want to learn more about dragonflies? Visit our website at https://www.jonescountyiowa.org/events-programs and scroll down to the Amazing Dragonfly program section. From here you can view several wonderful videos on dragonflies, complete a fun dragonfly scavenger hunt, and take a kahoot quiz on dragonflies to see how much you have learned.