Island Parent Magazine Dec-Jan 2023

NATURENOTES
Dragonflies & Damselflies
Have you seen them? Have you really seen them?
You never know what you’re going to fall in love
with next when it comes to the beautiful and sophisticated
ecological world that surrounds us. I have found love in
nature thousands of times, but it is not every day that you fall.
My first fall in nature was enormous, and I am far from recovering:
Fungi. At first they tantalized me, with their delicious
flavours, and then even more as I learned of their extraordinary
roles in ecology and uses in society.
Second, I fell for salmon. My heart climbed seven storeys
while I worked as an interpreter during the annual salmon run.
The fish are easy to admire, but I fell in love with their profound
abilities and perseverance. I fell for every single caudal
peduncle, operculum and enormous jawbone that I saw.
Now? I am curious, wondering if I have found a third love. I
can feel the beginnings of sprouting giddiness and tingling thrill
at the very thought of them. Yes, that’s right, naturally: Insects.
Have you seen them?
As spring sauntered into town and then somehow slipped
into summer and even fell into fall, my love for insects metamorphosed
into something I did not expect. Insects are incredible!
With shields, segments and sheaves, their diversity and
design is astounding—you just have to look! Have you really
seen them?
As part of my educational work with the Swan Lake Nature
Sanctuary, I was taking part in regular net dips in Swan Lake.
During these dips we sweep our nets through the water, gently
brushing plants and collecting invertebrates. Our scoops are deposited
into containers of water in which we can take a closer
look at the creatures of the lake.
I was amazed to find an incredible diversity of insects, many
of which would one day inhabit the terrestrial environment
above the water. I was frequently told “I did not get anything
in my scoop,” by students, only to encourage a deeper scan and
hear sounds of excitement as they found more and more tiny
creatures. Thrilling!
Invertebrates in the lake can be indicative of the lake’s health;
we call them bioindicators. Certain species can only survive in
healthy waters while others are very tolerant of pollutants. As I
was performing my bi-weekly scoop to help monitor the health
of the lake, I could feel myself falling for a third time. Dragonflies
and Damselflies belong to the order Odonata. They are
defined by their slender bodies, two pairs of transparent wings,
large compound eyes…and of course, by their epic speed and
hunting abilities!
Did you know that dragonflies and damselflies begin life
underwater? These insects start as eggs dropped in wet and
muddy areas by their mothers. When they hatch, they assume a
life underwater as Nymphs. In this stage, you might not recognize
them, as they lack their wings and many of their beautiful
colours. They have gills and are effective underwater hunters!
Dragonflies and Damselflies have an astounding and admittedly
odd adaptation for catching prey underwater. Their lower
lip piece, called their labium, can extend up to a third of their
body length, shooting out at extraordinary speeds to quickly
scoop up unassuming prey (small invertebrates or fish)!
I highly recommend looking up a video of these sophisticated
hunters. These nymphs are beautiful and their design is marvelous.
Their perfectly packed segmented body is full of whacky
and wonderful adaptations, including the ability to quickly propel
themselves forward by shooting water out of their behind!
When these insects are mature enough, they prepare to move
into their terrestrial stage of life. Some species can live underwater
for five whole years before they become adults! The
dragonflies and damselflies will crawl out of the water, partially
at first, and allow their respiration system to adapt to breathing
air! They will then climb onto vegetation or rocks and clamp
34 Island Parent Magazine IslandParent.ca