Here’s an Atlantis Fritillary (Speyeria atlantis) nectaring on red clover. Our two other large Speyeria frits here in the East are Aphrodite Fritillary (S. aphrodite) and Great Spangled Fritillary (S. cybele). One reliable field mark is the ocean-blue eyes on Atlantis Fritillary; the two others have yellow eyes. This mark won’t work in the West, where the higher diversity of these large fritillary species is enough to make even the most dedicated lepidopterist content with (or relegated to) the wisdom that we cannot always know what’s flying before us.

By the way, DSA members looking for an updated species list can check DSA Update No. 4 again for the new version, which includes additions from Fryeburg and Jackman (although I haven’t listed species from those trips separately).

Once again we slogged through bogs, waded into crystalline rivers and enjoyed the company of colleagues in the great pursuit of dragonflies. The Dragonfly Society of the Americas wrapped up its annual meeting in Orono, Maine, Sunday night. Some of us are heading north to Jackman (in the rain) for a post-meeting field trip that could include rare boreal species, such as Coenagrion interrogatum (Subarctic Bluet) and Somatochlora brevecincta (Quebec Emerald). That damselfly above is a Calopteryx aequabilis (River Jewelwing), a constant companion throughout this meeting. Highlights from Sunday included Mike Blust netting two Ophiogomphus howei (Pygmy Snaketail) from the Machias River and Hal White getting a female Somatochlora incurvata (Incurvate Emerald) from a small spruce bog. After our meeting and cookout Saturday, a few folks nabbed Neurocordulia yamaskanensis (Stygian Shadowdragon) from Pushaw Stream. During this meeting, many of us also got looks at black bear and moose. For a few more images and our preliminary species list

Here are some images. I’ve included a species list below.

Here’s our PRELIMINARY species list (92 species). It now includes reports from the pre-meeting field trip in and around Fryeburg and the post-meeting trip in and around Jackman.

The Ophiogomphus howei (Pygmy Snaketail) was like some sub-atomic particle, zig-zagging at light speed only inches over the Machias River. Most of us, wading in the river, could do little more than stand and watch, getting a swing now and then … and mostly missing. One male Pygmy Snaketail, after slipping through a gauntlet of nets, zoomed toward Steve Collins. I yelled, “He’s coming at you!” Steve swung and landed his second O. howei of the day. (I get an assist.) This is among the prized dragonflies on the continent. It spends most of its days high in riverside trees, making occasional sorties to the river. I’ve encountered and photographed many other members of this genus, some of them exceedingly rare. But O. howei is a prize, no more than two inches long, a bullet with a mind of its own, a dream dragonfly for most of us. That image above is one of Steve’s males posed on a stump (where you’ll never find any self-respecting O. howei).

I believe we’re up to six Ophiogomphus species for the meeting so far, including O. anomalus. And we’re slowly building our Somatochlora list, which is now at least six species, including a female S. cingulata (Lake Emerald) I landed on the Machias River yesterday. (Here’s an image of a male.) And below is Blair Nikula’s shot (last year) of 1000 Acre Heath. The road nearby is where we’re finding most of our Somatochlora. I’ll post a species list and other images tomorrow.

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.)