Dragon fly Traditional Cache

Description

There are six families of dragonflies found in Florida, each of which is easily identifiable. These insects are commonly found around ponds and open bodies of fresh water and large blacktop parking lots (perhaps parking lots resemble open bodies of water to odonates where they search for prey and mates). There are a number of species that disperse away from water for a time before returning with a mate to breed and deposit eggs.

Florida is home to more than a 150 species of odonates belonging to three families of damselflies: Calopterygidae, Coenagionidae, and Lestidae (Daigle 1991) and six families of dragonflies: Aeshnidae, Cordulegastridae, Corduliidae, Gomphidae, Libellulidae, and Petaluridae (Daigle 1992). They can be seen near any body of water or running stream, often sitting in sunspots breaking through the forest canopy along a river or pond, or patrolling the waters edge. Some species can be found in open fields far away from water while searching for prey or while migrating.

Identifying males and females is not difficult. Males will have what appears to be a pouch on the second and third abdominal segments that contain secondary genitalia. The actual male genitalia will be found on the last abdominal segments along with a grasping structure that will be used to hold the female while mating. The male produces sperm at the tip of the abdomen and transfers this sperm to the secondary genitalia where the female will have access to it. Females do not have secondary genitalia or grasping structures at the end of the abdomen but instead have a single genital opening and a small ovipositor at the end of the abdomen that will be used to oviposite her eggs (see above for types of oviposition). Normally, the male dragonfly is more colorful while the female will be a dull brown or grey. This is not true for all odonates. For example, both sexes of Calopteryx maculata are very similar in coloration with the exception of the female having a white pterostigma while the male does not.

With the exception of social insects, odonates are perhaps the best behaviorally documented of the insect orders. Much research has gone into unfolding aspects of odonate behavior but particular attention has been paid to mating strategies and associated behaviors, as this is one of the more captivating and peculiar aspects of odonate behavior.

This cache has been placed with permission for the CREW Trust and
the South Florida Water Management District

Good luck!