Odonata goals for 2006

Time to record for posterity and future reference the goals the Urban Dragon Hunters hope to accomplish this field season.

• Examine lots of Common Baskettails, Epitheca cynosura, to see if some aren't actually Stripe-winged Baskettails, Epitheca costalis. There are a few records of E. costalis for Michigan, as well as some cynosura/costalis intergrades. You can read about this interesting situation in a past issue of the Williamsonia (pdf).
• Does Southern Spreadwing (Lestes disjunctus australis) really occur in Wayne County? There are about a dozen specimens for the state, but none for Wayne Co., although there is an old published record. I've been looking for them, to no avail so far. Likewise Hagen's Bluet (Enallagma hageni). Could be that these records are in error.
• Search some more for Turquoise Bluet, Enallagma divagans. A fairly recent published record exists for the county. Same for Spatterdock Darner (Aeshna mutata) and Four-spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata).
• There are records here for Canada Darner (Aeshna canadensis) and Mottled Darner (A. clepsydra), but they are from prior to 1880. Methinks they are no longer around these parts. A similar old record exists for Lilypad Clubtail (Arigomphus furcifer), but I think this might be findable.
• Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) is a vagrant, and I'm hopeful it'll show up in the county again soon.
• New species that the Hunters feel should be found in the county include Lilypad Forktail (Ischnura kellicotti), Spangled Skimmer, (Libellula cyanea), and Black-shouldered Spinyleg (Dromogomphus spinosus). For the most part, the new county records we've obtained have been species that we were not looking for and did not expect, so who knows what we'll find!
• Get better photos of Nannothemis and Stylurus for the sidebar!