Migratory Dragonfly Short Course 

Hillsboro, Oregon

August 11, 2012

10:00 am - 4:30 pm

Dragonfly migration is one of the most fascinating events in the insect world, but also one of the least-known. To shed light on this understudied phenomenon, the Migratory Dragonfly Partnership (MDP) is hosting dragonfly migration short courses across North America. The objective of these one-day events is to train participants to identify key migratory species and contribute data to ongoing MDP citizen science projects. 

Dragonfly migration occurs on every continent except Antarctica. The aptly-named wandering glider (Pantala flavescens), though less famed as a migrant than the monarch butterfly, makes annual flights across the Indian Ocean that are twice the distance of monarch migrations. In North America, migrations are seen annually in late summer and early fall, when thousands to millions of insects stream southward along coasts, lake shores, and mountain ridges from Canada down to Mexico and the West Indies, passing along both coasts of the United States and through the Midwest. Movement back north is less obvious, but we know it occurs because mature adult dragonflies appear early in spring at places where overwintering resident immatures (nymphs) have not yet emerged.

Only about 16 of our 326 dragonfly species in North America are regular migrants, with some making annual seasonal flights while others are more sporadic. The major migratory species in North America are common green darner (Anax junius), wandering glider (Pantala flavescens), spot-winged glider (Pantala hymenaea), black saddlebags (Tramea lacerata), and variegated meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum).

Although it spans three countries and has been documented since the 1880s, North American dragonfly migration is still poorly understood, and much remains to be learned about migratory cues, flight pathways, and the southern limits of overwintering grounds. The MDP is filling this gap by combining research, citizen science, and education and outreach to better understand North America’s migrating dragonflies, and to promote conservation of their wetland habitat.

Migratory Dragonfly Short Courses will educate participants about dragonfly life history, ecology, and migratory behavior, and provide training in MDP project protocols. The courses will include both a morning classroom and afternoon field component, and participants will receive a resource packet with migratory dragonfly publications, fact sheets, protocols, and identification guides. For information on other MDP short courses in North America, visit the Xerces Society Events page (www.xerces.org/events/) to view up-to-date short course information. If you would like to receive announcements about upcoming dragonfly short courses or request one in your area, please email alexa@xerces.org. Be sure to include the following information: name, affiliation, mailing address, phone number, and the state(s) for which you would like to receive announcements.

COURSE AGENDA (times are approximate)

10:00 am – 10:20 am         Welcome and introduction

10:20 am – 10:55 am         Introduction to dragonflies: life history and ecology

11:00 am – 11:45 am         Dragonfly identification

11:45 am – 12:30 pm         Lunch. Please bring a sack lunch.

12:30 pm – 12:50 pm        Conservation of dragonflies

12:50 pm – 1:20 pm          Dragonfly migration

1:20 pm – 1:30 pm            Break

1:30 pm – 1:40 pm            The Migratory Dragonfly Partnership (overview)

1:40 pm – 2:20 pm            Citizen scientists and the MDP: Migration monitoring,  Pond                                         Watch,  and the Stable Isotope Project

2:30 pm - 4:30 pm             Field trip: observing and identifying dragonflies                                                                    

LEAD INSTRUCTOR

Dennis Paulson 

Dennis recently retired from his position as the Director of the Slater Museum of Natural History at the University of Puget Sound. After receiving his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Miami, he has taught college and adult-education courses about natural history for over 40 years. One of his primary goals as a biologist has been to blend the science of biology with the study and appreciation of nature. His special research subjects have long been dragonflies, and he has studied them all over the world, resulting in the largest collections of Odonata specimens and photos in western North America. He has written over 40 scientific papers on the Odonata, the booklet Dragonflies of Washington, and two books, Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West and Dragonflies and Damselfies of the East.

ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS

Celeste Mazzacano 

Celeste is the Project Coordinator for the Migratory Dragonfly Partnership, and the Aquatic Program Director at the Xerces Society. With a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Minnesota, she has worked for over 16 years in research and education. She believes strongly in providing the public with knowledge, skills, and motivation to enhance and protect natural resources within their communities, and works to promote conservation of aquatic invertebrates and their habitats.

ABOUT THE MIGRATORY DRAGONFLY PARTNERSHIP

The MDP is composed of dragonfly experts, nongovernmental programs, academic institutions, and federal agencies from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Together, we are combining research, citizen science, and education and outreach to better understand North America's migratory dragonflies and promote conservation of their wetland habitat. For information about the MDP, visit http://www.migratorydragonflypartnership.org/ or contact dragonfly@xerces.org.

Register Now!

Once registration closes, please send an email to alexa@xerces.org to be placed on our waiting list.