Maine Damselfly and Dragonfly Survey
Keeping Track of Winged Jewels: The
Maine Damselfly and Dragonfly Survey
Phillip deMaynadier, Ph.D. Endangered Species Group, Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 650 State St., Bangor, ME 04401 (207) 941-4239, email: phillip.demaynadier@state.me.us
Mark
McCollough, Ph.D. Endangered Species Group, Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 650 State
St., Bangor, ME 04401 (207) 941-4475, email: mark.mccollough@state.me.us
Maine’s
damselflies and dragonflies (Odonata) comprise a significant and conspicuous component of
the state’s wildlife diversity. With 155
species documented to date, Maine hosts nearly 35% of the total North American fauna (~450
species; Needham and Westfall 1955, Westfall and May 1996) and fully 81% of the species
currently known from greater Atlantic Canada and New England (~191 species; Brunelle pers.
comm.). Undoubtedly, the state’s
diverse wetland habitats help to support a rich odonate fauna, many of whom exhibit
distinct breeding preferences for specific aquatic community types including peatlands,
ponds, streams, swamps, marshes, and even vernal pools.
Additionally, Maine is a large state, and geographically positioned in an
ecological transition zone between the northern boreal and temperate deciduous ecoregions,
offering habitat to several species at the southern and northern end of their ranges,
respectively.
As beautiful
and familiar as dragonflies and damselflies are as a group to most of us, we actually know
very little about the distribution and abundance of individual species at the state or
global level. In fact, considering that a
recently updated checklist of Maine Odonata (Brunelle 1998) expanded the current state
list by 35% (from 115 to 155 species), it is likely that the number of known species will
continue to grow with additional survey effort. Based
on the habitat associations and geographic distributions of dragonflies and damselflies in
neighboring regions it would be reasonable to expect the occurrence of as many as 10 to 20
new species in Maine. Not only do we need to
improve our basic knowledge of species richness on a state level, but more study is needed
on the ecology and distribution of those species currently believed to exist in Maine. A very small number of professional and amateur
biologists have contributed to most of what we know of Odonata in Maine, with many
historical records having not been reconfirmed for decades.
To help emphasize this point, Paul Brunelle estimates that an average of
only 1.8 animals per square kilometer have been collected in the last 75 years in one of
the most intensively sampled regions of the state – Mount Desert Island (for most
areas of the state the number would be ca. 0.015 records/kilometer/75 years!). Clearly, there is still room to make important
contributions to our knowledge of aquatic biodiversity in Maine for those enthusiasts
willing to get their feet wet swinging a dragonfly net.
In addition
to improving information on the group as a whole, there are some immediate conservation
incentives to learn more about dragonflies and damselflies in Maine. As most of you are aware, Maine’s legislature
recently authorized the inclusion of invertebrates to the state list of endangered and
threatened species. Included on this list now
are the ringed boghaunter dragonfly (Williamsonia
lintneri) and the pygmy snaketail dragonfly (Ophiogomphus
howei). In addition, MDIFW lists 24
odonates as Species of Special Concern. These
species are believed to be rare, but require additional information to accurately assess
their status. Indeed, many of these species
are known from just a few or a single historical record.
Distinguishing those species that are simply cryptic and under-surveyed (how
many of us have visited remote bog-pool complexes in September in search of
“rare” Darners?) from those species that are genuinely rare requires a lot more
collection data than is currently available. Unfortunately,
this level of information is not likely to be forthcoming in the near future without
proactive efforts to survey specific habitats during the appropriate season.
The Maine
Damselfly and Dragonfly Survey (MDDS) is a new project designed to improve our knowledge
of the distribution, abundance, and habitat associations of Odonata in Maine. The intent is to initiate a 5-year directed
survey, from 1999 to 2004, that will greatly expand our current knowledge of the order by
recruiting volunteers from across the state to help with surveys of adults near their
breeding habitats. While detailed protocol is
yet to be determined, it is likely that distribution data will be township-based with
volunteers encouraged to visit several different wetland-types at different times of the
year within their local area. Pre-printed
collecting envelopes distributed by MDIFW will prompt collectors to record observations on
habitat, numbers, behavior, and other useful data. Aware
that few individuals have had experience collecting dragonflies and damselflies, MDIFW
will offer introductory workshops by an MDDS coordinator and invited experts from the
region (e.g. Nick Donnelly, Ginger Carpenter, Paul Brunelle), where helpful information on
techniques for field collection, preservation, and identification will be conveyed. In addition to receiving a field manual on
collecting and identifying dragonflies and damselflies, volunteers will be kept informed
via periodic newsletters summarizing new state-wide discoveries and other project
updates.
To our knowledge the MDDS is among the first state-sponsored
comprehensive Odonate atlasing projects in North America.
In the past, similar volunteer-based atlas initiatives sponsored by MDIFW
for breeding birds (1978) and amphibians and reptiles (1992 and 1998) have been extremely
successful, both in terms of enhancing our baseline knowledge of the taxa in Maine, and at
garnering support and involvement from non-consumptive wildlife enthusiasts. “Charismatic microfauna”
like dragonflies and butterflies can serve as valuable tools for raising public awareness
about biodiversity and conservation of invertebrates.
We hope that students, professionals, and amateurs from the Maine
Entomological Society will consider involvement with the MDDS as an opportunity to expand
their breadth of knowledge while at the same time helping the state collect valuable
scientific baseline information. Stay tuned
for an official announcement on the initiation of the Maine Damselfly and Dragonfly Survey
and please email Phillip or Mark at the addresses above if you think you would be
interested in participating.
Needham, J.G., and M.J. Westfall, Jr. 1955. A Manual of the Dragonflies of North America (Anisoptera). University of California Press, Berkeley, California.