by Otter Vispo
Here is a rudimentary guide to some of the dragonflies and damselflies of our county. It is neither entirely comprehensive nor particularly detailed, but hopefully it at least gives an idea about what you could expect to find when wandering your neighborhood. Click on each group’s name or photo to access its page and see species photos and accounts.
Clubtails
Cruisers
Damselflies
Darners
Emeralds
Jewelwings
Skimmers
Spiketails
Spreadwings
Here’s a basic dragonfly slideshow (in pdf format), it profiles some of the odonates associated with different Columbia County habitats.
Those interested in dull tabular details can check-out our county list. (Hey, it’s exciting reading if you’re into dragonflies – more than 100 species complete with habitat color coding!)
Suggested Reading
Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East by Dennis Paulson.
The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin Provincial Park and the Surrounding Area by Colin Jones, Andrea Kingsley, Peter Burke and Matt Holder.
Damselflies of the Northeast by Ed Lam.
A Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts by Blair Nikula, Jennifer Loose, and Matthew Burne
Distribution and Status of the Odonates of New York by Erin White, Jeff Corser, and Matt Schlesinger.