Last update 28 August 2002

By Richard Orr, Bob Honig, and Robert A. Behrstock

This list is continually evolving as new information becomes available. For additions, corrections or comments please contact Richard Orr at 5215 Durham Road-East, Columbia, Maryland 21044. When submitting additions please provide field data. A collected specimen is generally required for new additions; however, depending upon the species, photographs and/or field notes will be considered.

This newly updated version of THE DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND VICINITY allows you to see images of most of the species of East Texas Odonates in natural settings. Clicking scientific names (in blue) links you to photos at the Digital Dragonfly Museum web site at Texas A&M University's Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Stephenville, Texas. Learn about this award winning web site by visiting its home page at: http://stephenville.tamu.edu/~fmitchel/dragonfly/

 

For each species listed, the following indicates the counties in the Houston, Texas, vicinity for which there is at least one known occurrence of that species. Listing of a county for a given species does not necessarily imply that the species can regularly be found in that county. Extremely rare occurrences are usually noted. Key to sources of information: (1) Richard Orr personal records from 1987-1989 (2) Thomas Donnelly personal records from 1960-1966 (3) Clifford Johnson's 1972 The Damselflies of Texas (4) John Abbott personal records (5) Robert A. Behrstock records from May 1997-present Other sources of information incorporated into text County abbreviations: Harris = HAS Galveston = GAL Chambers = CHA Brazoria = BRA Fort Bend = FOB Waller = WAR Montgomery = MOG San Jacinto = SAJ Liberty = LIB

 

Local Expertise/assistance: Bob Honig has extensive field experience with the local Gulf Coast dragonflies and damselflies. He is available, on a limited basis, for lectures, field trips, and for confirming new odonate sight records. Bob Honig can be reached at MandRHonig@aol.comor 3803 Purdue, Houston, Texas 77005. For the last several years, Bob Behrstock has been adding records of East Texas Odonates, including many in the area covered by this web site. He is available on a limited basis for leading bird, dragonfly and butterfly trips. Bob Behrstock may be reached at rbehr@ix.netcom.com. Identification of collected adults, cast skins, and mature larvae will be done on a limited basis. Preservation requirements and arrangement for specimen identification should be cleared through Richard Orr before submission of specimens at rorr@aphis.usda.gov or 5215 Durham Road - East, Columbia, Maryland 21044.

 

Request for migratory information: Mike May is requesting information on the spring and fall migration movements of dragonflies. Anax junius (Common Green Darner), Pantala flavescens (Wandering Glider), Pantala hymenaea (Spot-winged Glider), Tramea lacerata (Black Saddlebags), Tramea carolina (Carolina Saddlebags), and Tramea onusta (Red Saddlebags) likely migrate through the Houston area especially along the coast. Observations of spring and fall movements of these and any other species need to be recorded. Large cloud-like swarms of dragonflies are common along the Gulf Coast in the fall. Spring northward movement of these species may be more inland and individual dragonflies less inclined to swarm, so be on the lookout for an influx of mature individuals in the early spring. The following information should be gathered: (1) size (area covered) of swarm and approximate number of individuals; (2) make-up of swarm (how many species and what are their approximate ratios); (3) is the swarm moving, if so what direction; (4) general behavior (what are they doing) -- record tandem, copulation, or oviposition behavior; (5) general weather conditions including wind direction and strength; and (6) date, time of day, and observers. Send the information to Dr. Michael L. May, mimay@rci.rutgers.edu or Dept. Of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903.

 

Field Guides: Currently the best available field guides for East Texas are Dragonflies of the Florida Peninsula, Bermuda and the Bahamas, by Sidney Dunkle (Scientific Publishers Nature Guide #1. Gainesville FL. ISBN 0-945417-23-3. 155 pages) Damselflies of Florida, Bermuda and the Bahamas, by Sidney Dunkle (Scientific Publishers Nature Guide #3. Gainesville FL. ISBN 0-945417-85-3. 148 pages). These guides cover the majority of the species that occur in the Houston area except for the Gomphidae (Clubtails). Since Clubtails are generally more secretive, inconspicuous, and usually have a shorter flight season than other dragonflies, the general naturalist will likely not find this a major inconvenience.

 

Suggested literature for the Texas Gulf Coast: Abbott, J.C., Stewart, K.W., and S.R. Moulton, II 1997. Aquatic Insects of the Big Thicket Region of East Texas. Texas J. Sci. 49(3) Supplement:35-50. Abbott, J.C. and K.W. Stewart 1998. Odonata of the South Central Nearctic Region, Including Northeastern Mexico. Ent. News 109(3):201-212. Behrstock, R.A. 1998. An Eye on the Dragonfly. Texas: Houston Chronicle Magazine. 29 March:6-9. Bick, G.H. 1957. The Odonata of Louisiana. Tulane Studies in Zoology, Vol. 5, No. 5, pp. 71-135. Donnelly, T.W. 1962. Somatochlora margarita, a new species of dragonfly from eastern Texas (Odonata:Corduliidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, Vol. 64, No. 4, pp. 235-240. Donnelly, T.W. 1966. A new Gomphine dragonfly from eastern Texas (Odonata:Gomphidae) [Gomphus apomyius]. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, Vol. 68, pp. 102-105. Donnelly, T.W. 1978. Odonata of the Sam Houston National Forest and vicinity, East Texas, United States, 1960-1966. Notulae Odonatologica, Vol. 1, No. 1,pp. 6-7. Dunkle, S.W. 1989. Dragonflies of the Florida Peninsula, Bermuda, and the Bahamas. Scientific Publishers Nature Guide #1. Gainesville, Florida. 155 pp. Dunkle, S.W. 1990. Damselflies of the Florida, Bermuda and the Bahamas. Scientific Publishers Nature Guide #3. Gainesville, Florida. 148 pp. Garrison, R.W. 1986. The Genus Aphylla in Mexico and Central America, with a description of a new species, Aphylla angustifolia (Odonata: Gomphidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Vol. 79, pp. 938-944. Garrison, R.W. 1994. A synopsis of the genus Argia of the United States with keys and descriptions of new species Argia sabino, A. leonorae, and A. pima (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) Trans. Amer. Entomol. Soc. 120(4): 287-368. Johnson, C. 1972. The Damselflies (Zygoptera) of Texas. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences Vol. 16, No. 2, 128 pp. McCafferty, W.P. 1981. Aquatic Entomology: The Fishermen's and Ecologists' Illustrated Guide to Insects and Their Relatives. Science Books International, Boston. 448 pp. Needham, J.G., & M.J. Westfall, Jr. 1955. A Manual of the Dragonflies of North America. University of California Press, Berkeley. 615 pp. Westfall, M.J. 1996. Odonata. Chapter 12 (pages 164-211) in Aquatic Insects of North America, Third Edition, R.W. Merritt and K.W. Cummins, editors. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa. 862 pp. [Odonate larval identification]. Westfall, M.J., & M.L. May. 1996. Damselflies of North America. Scientific Publishers, Gainesville, Florida. 650 pp.

Copyright ©,1997-1999, Richard Orr, Bob Honig and Robert A. Behrstock. All rights reserved. This page organized and coded by Melinda Parmer.

For additions, corrections or comments please contact Richard Orr at 5215 Durham Road-East, Columbia, Maryland 21044.

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