DRAGONFLIES
Help Untangle the
Mysteries of Migration
One August, a couple of years ago, friends came back from trips to
Oregon's coast with the same question: What's up with all those
dragonflies? They'd all noticed that the air over the beaches was
full of thousands of red-colored dragonflies. The answer to their
question was migration, variegated meadowhawks following the coast as
they headed south for the winter.
Most people are surprised at the idea of dragonflies migrating.
Darting around their local pond, yes, but trekking hundreds or
thousands of miles each year? But the common green darner and
wandering glider migrate as far as the monarch butterfly, and the
black saddlebags, variegated meadowhawk, and spot-winged glider also
travel significant distances.
Millions of dragonflies journey between Canada, the United States,
and Mexico each year. Naturalists have noted these migrations since
the nineteenth century, as huge numbers of dragonflies can be seen
flying south in the fall along both coasts and through the Midwest,
but remarkably little is known about them. The northward return in
spring is even more mysterious, because the dragonflies are less
concentrated and more dispersed across the landscape.
To help fill the knowledge gap, the Xerces Society joined with
several other organizations across North America to found the
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001PQrpfOuPFT-4jouOmBnvUm5gx_YdJAD_Xyu7b-Cpl82EFJcBUKblmQ8mtc3cAT8a8BnswfMrWtWK6W_O7hwG18-EEajyAHbauugzKdvWXLQjWd3XuR0xmAK5A9Xa8ZOaVmEy_0Zp9yaxQjRqypgdxHjpS3AngBid>Migratory
Dragonfly Partnership. MDP partners are researching where dragonflies
migrate, overwinter, and breed, and are documenting sightings of
dragonflies from citizens across the continent.
There are two ways to get involved and help untangle the mysteries of
dragonfly migration:
* This fall, Xerces Society staffers Celeste Mazzacano and
Michele Blackburn, in conjunction with world-renowned dragonfly
experts, will lead a series of trainings for people wanting to learn
more about these migrations. At the end of the day, attendees will be
able to identify migratory species and contribute data to citizen
science projects of MDP. Workshops will be held in Cape May, NJ
(9/15), Austin, TX (9/29), and in Ontario, Canada (date TBD).
Registration for all of these is via the
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001PQrpfOuPFT9p8CNw12-n8w7gi3XLMUMNxTpzkd2rMDcVGIwCwICE3Q_NVFpy2EOsbz76jah0e9pTrn8AQT9AFFojAsoOqPkMdD-YsiM_AohXRrty38ok0NI5KULiIGFY>Xerces
events webpage.
* Watch what's happening around your local pond and report it to
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001PQrpfOuPFT9UR6VC2hBJuGLK6tYGAduBqaI6_SdEaOKn1z_6Kq4srgxucsz-SpvQeLe_FYwoz7gnG-kHDdFjqOB86DK-5_t5mu0v3yT-zZiOZICqx7CPZFjizsdXXLERUhJoKxix2ujaxFM9HW1_vMpman_OVJV9>Dragonfly
Pond Watch, a volunteer-based program of the MDP. No prior experience
with dragonflies is needed to participate!
