DSA Update No. 1 – Bog Wisps

This dainty damselfly is one of only six species in the world belonging to the genus Nehalennia. We commonly call them Sprites. They’re tiny, often less than an inch long and no thicker than a sedge stem. They wander (almost float) among wetland vegetation, killing and eating smaller insects and, well, having sex along the way. This species, glittering green and baby blue, is a bog specialist aptly named Sphagnum Sprite (Nehalennia gracilis).

I’m in Maine organizing and attending the annual meeting of the Dragonfly Society of the Americas. If I can tear myself away from remote bogs and cold rivers, where about 85 of us are chasing dragonflies all week, I’ll post more photos. (When we’re not muddy, wading or otherwise getting wet, we do spend one day indoors for a business meeting and research presentations.)