Thursday Invertebrate Blogging: Here There Be Dragons

Ever since I've gotten my new camera and macro lens (more on that later), I've developed the habit of taking early morning walks around brownstone Brooklyn in search of suitable subjects to photograph. Last year I ran out of invertebrates once the temperature dropped, so I figured I'd better stock up this year before the bleak winter weather sets in. The way I see it, there is nothing like a close-up of a cold blooded arthropod to bring warmth to one's cheeks when the gales of November come early.

It was during one of these strolls last week that I happened upon a magnificent sight...

Dragons in Prospect Heights.

The specimen above and to the right was welcoming the dawn in Prospect Heights. Click on the photo to the right for a close-up view aquatic mites on its abdomen.

I had seen dragonflies buzzing around at a distance in Propect Park, but I had never seen one in the middle of a residential block. When I got home, and scanned the photographs closely, I noticed the eggs aquatic mites on the underside of her abdomen. Presumably, she was heading for a pond in the park to deposit her eggs.

Dragonfly larvae are aquatic, and they are impressive "sit and wait" predators. I used to raise them in an aquarium back when I was in graduate school. It was always a thrill to watch them track and snatch waterfleas with their lightning fast extendable jaws, or ligula, which have an uncanny resemblance to the extendable jaws of the creatures in the "Alien" film series.

Dragonflies and their smaller relatives, damselflies, are members of the order Odonata. They have many human fans including New York Times editorialists, and, the absolutely outstanding blog, Urban Dragon Hunters.

I'm sure I'll be posting more photos of these beasts as I encounter them. In the meantime, enjoy your Thursday.

UPDATE: According to nanothemis at Urban Dragon Hunters, the red spots on the dragonfly's underside were NOT eggs:

Those are not eggs, actually, they are water mites. These are quite common on odes, but more frequent on damselflies. I think you've inspired me to post about them once I get a few good shots.

Your odes are Blue Dashers (Pachydiplax longipennis), pugnacious little critters that are probably the most abundant dragonfly species around here...perhaps in your neck of the "woods" too.

First, I'm flattered to have inspired a post on water mites. I'll certainly link to it when it's up. I wonder whether they are parasitic or commensal? I guess I'll have to wait for the story from Nannothemis.

Second, I'm embarassed to have made such a mistake. I'll chalk it up to the fact that I only studied larval forms of aquatic insects when I was in grad school. I was in Dr. Etnier's class, and whenever he pulled a particularly large dragonfly larvae out of the sampling jar, he'd say "there's a bug that's so big that even Dave can identify it."

Minute details were never my strong point.

Comments

[hellbent]

Blue Dasher, dragonfly, and damselfly hint at how wonderful dragonfly names are. No other group of critters has been so blessed with poetic fanciers. I'm sure Chekhov penned a few charming names for butterflies, but I'll take Halloween Pennant over Red Admiral or a River Cruiser over a Wood Nymph any day.

[Jessamy]

They're not eggs, they're mites?!? (shudder) How does that poor dragonfly even take off, covered in them like that? No wonder it was sitting strangely on the post. Parasites are unbelievably foul.

[Nannothemis]

Hey, thanks for the kudos.

Those are not eggs, actually, they are water mites. These are quite common on odes, but more frequent on damselflies. I think you've inspired me to post about them once I get a few good shots.

Your odes are Blue Dashers (Pachydiplax longipennis), pugnacious little critters that are probably the most abundant dragonfly species around here...perhaps in your neck of the "woods" too. Don't be surprised at what you can find in urban areas. My Urban Odes project is a testament to that.

I hope to start an invert carvinal this fall. Your posts will be must-reads!

[rachel]

Those are freaking amazing! Great marriage of a fab camera and a guy with a great eye.