Friday, August 06, 2021

More Kinds of Dragonflies and Damselflies Found at Rogers Refuge

What wonderful names have the dragonflies and damselflies that Mark Manning and his son are finding at Rogers Refuge. Known mostly for its birdlife, this patch of floodplain along the StonyBrook below the Institute Woods also is home to other diversities. My ecological assessment of the refuge from 2007 includes a plant inventory, and now we have an expanding list of Odonata as well, totaling 36 different species. Below are the Mannings' photos of a few, and their full list to date. The names make one want to write an ode to Odonata. 

Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Skimmer and Jewelwing!

On, Bluet! on, Glider! on, Darner and Clubtail!

To the top of the sedge! To the top of the cattail!

Now fly away! fly away! fly away all!

The names--Fragile forktail, pondhawk, meadowhawk--are as vivid and full of action as the insects themselves.

Ebony Jewelwing
Blue Dasher
Painted Skimmer
Unicorn Clubtail

Blue-tipped Dancer
Lancet Clubtail

Black-shouldered Spinyleg



Rogers Refuge Odonata List as of 7/17/2021-Mark Manning

 

Ebony jewelwing

Blue-fronted dancer

Violet dancer

Powdered dancer

Blue-tipped dancer

Azure bluet

Double-striped bluet

Familiar bluet

Turquoise bluet

Stream bluet

Slender bluet

Fragile forktail

Eastern forktail

Common green darner

Comet darner

Unicorn clubtail

Black-shouldered spinyleg

Lancet clubtail

Ashy/dusky clubtail

Prince baskettail

Common baskettail

Halloween pennant

Eastern pondhawk

Slaty skimmer

Widow skimmer

Twelve-spotted skimmer

Painted skimmer

Great blue skimmer

Blue dasher

Wandering glider

Spot-winged glider

Eastern amberwing

Common whitetail

Autumn meadowhawk

Carolina saddlebags

Black saddlebags

 

Total: 36


Update: at season's end, in early September, the Mannings added one more species to the list: 

the russet-tipped clubtail

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