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dragonfl ies’ eyes are right next to each
other, while the eyes of damselfl ies have
some space between them.
Odonates do not spend their entire lives
with wings. In fact, the bulk of their lifes-
pan happens in or around water. Eggs
hatch into wingless nymphs, which are
active hunters of other insects and arthro-
pods, as well as the occasional fi sh or
tadpole.
Some are strictly aquatic, while oth-
ers may inhabit landforms around fresh
waterways in search of prey. Even before
they can fl y, they’re an important predator
of mosquitoes, both in their larval aquatic
form and the occasional adult that falls
into the water. As they are unable to move
very far at once, they tend to ambush their
prey.
It may take a few years before a nymph
is ready to molt into its winged form.
To do so, it must crawl out of the water
on a piece of vegetation and shed its old
skin. This process may take hours, and
the nymph is quite vulnerable until it
has molted entirely and its wings have
unfolded. Its initial form usually has more
muted colors before developing further
into its adult form.
With the exception of a few species,
adult odonates do not hibernate over the
winter. Instead, they spend the few weeks
or months of their adult life hunting food
on the wing and seeking mates. Two mat-
ing odonates will create a sort of head-
to-tail loop. Clasps on the end of the
male’s abdomen hang onto the female’s
head while she arcs the end of her abdo-
men almost up to the underside of his tho-
rax. The female then fl ies off to deposit the
fertilized eggs in or very near quiet fresh
water.
Because they spend so much time in
water, odonates are very sensitive to water
pollution. Additionally, they need biodi-
verse freshwater habitats to provide both
food and shelter. It’s not just about quan-
tity, but also quality. The more individual
species there are in a given waterway, the
healthier the odonate population. The rise
in indiscriminate and widespread pesticide
use also kills both odonates and their prey.
To support dragonfl ies and damselfl ies,
start by advocating for clean local water-
ways. This can include supporting legisla-
tion that prevents and cleans up pollution,
volunteering or donating to organizations
that restore aquatic habitat and reducing
the runoff of lawn and household chemi-
cals into storm drains.
To create an odonate habitat at home,
start by creating a water feature. Deeper
water is best, as the nymphs need room
to hide and hunt. Something as simple as
a livestock water trough will work, espe-
cially if set in the ground. Another idea
is to dig a pond and insert a hard or sheet
plastic liner. Add in some rocks in the
water so that the nymphs have somewhere
to hide and perch for food.
Plants are another crucial component,
both in and around the water. Native plant
nurseries across the Northwest often have
several species of aquatic plants avail-
able. You’ll also want to put native species
around the water feature, especially those
with long leaves like grasses and sedges.
If you have a large enough pond, the yel-
low pond lily is an aquatic native plant that
provides shelter to both nymph and adult
odonates.
You may not get odonates immediately,
but it’s likely the mosquitoes will arrive
quickly. If you fi nd that you have an abun-
dance of mosquito larvae but no odonate
nymphs, drop in a mosquito dunk. This
will kill off mosquito larvae for 30 days,
but will not harm any other insects. Keep
your eyes out for odonates, and if you see
nymphs, remove the dunk immediately so
that the mosquitoes can provide them some
food.
Rebecca Lexa is a naturalist, nature
educator, tour guide and writer living on
the Long Beach Peninsula. Find more
about her work at rebeccalexa.com.
Rebecca Lexa
A mature adult four-spotted skimmer is easily recognized by the four spots on each pair of wings.
TO CREATE AN ODONATE HABITAT AT HOME, START
BY CREATING A WATER FEATURE. DEEPER WATER IS
BEST, AS THE NYMPHS NEED ROOM TO HIDE AND
HUNT. SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A LIVESTOCK
WATER TROUGH WILL WORK, ESPECIALLY IF SET IN
THE GROUND. ANOTHER IDEA IS TO DIG A POND AND
INSERT A HARD OR SHEET PLASTIC LINER. ADD IN SOME
ROCKS IN THE WATER SO THAT THE NYMPHS HAVE
SOMEWHERE TO HIDE AND PERCH FOR FOOD.
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