Nicaragua odes

Stylurus and I just returned from a trip to Nicaragua. Our main task was to help with a bird banding project, but we also did ode surveys at several locations -- and we had permission to net and release, which was a big help. We ended up with 34 species, many of which were new for us.

LOCATIONS VISITED

FINCA ESPERANZA VERDE (FEV) -- shade coffee farm near San Ramon, Matagalpa dept.
-- Main buildings: 12.93978, -85.78003, 1100 m
-- Yellow trail creek: 12.93398, -85.78248, 1100 m
-- Blue trail creek: 12.9382, -85.7814

"GENERAL NESTOR'S" (GN) -- private property near El Naranjo, Matagalpa dept.; 12.89714, -85.78798, 688 m

SELVA NEGRA -- shade coffee and forest reserve between Matagalpa and Jinotega, Matagalpa dept.; 13.00024, -85.90874, 1290 m

DOMITILA -- private reserve of dry tropical forest near Nandaime, Granada dept.
-- Main buildings: 11.708642, -85.953549
-- Rio Hacienda (southern stream; referred to as "Rio Dorado" by Fred Sibley in his Argia article summarizing his August 2003 visit): 11.7013, -85.9522
-- Rio Pintal (northern stream): 11.7097, -85.9558

---

Hetaerina caja (keyed out using microscope); Rio Hacienda, Domitila,
14 March 2009, fairly common.

Hetaerina cruentata. One at FEV on 5 March; several also seen at
Selva Negra on 11 March 2009.

Racket-tipped Rubyspot (Hetaerina occisa). Seen first (several)
at GN on 9 March, males easy to diagnose in hand;
a few at Rio Hacienda, Domitila, 14 March 2009.

Archilestes grandis.
GN on 9 March 2009.

Lemon-tipped Helicopter Damsel (Mecistogaster ornatus).
Rio Hacienda, Domitila, 14 March 2009.

Amelia's Threadtail (Neoneura amelia), Domitila, 12 March 2009. These
were found on both streams, both males and pairs and ovipositing, but
were easy to overlook. I included the inset because I thought the pose
looked rakish.


This individual in the first three photos keyed out to
Anisagrion allopterum. Blue trail, FEV, 8 March 2009. The last photo
was one seen at Selva Negra on 11 March, which Dennis Paulson also
identified as this species.


These were common at FEV (top one on the yellow trail on 5 Mar, bottom
on blue trail on 9 Mar). Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) looks similar to
A. fissa and A. westfalli, but those species are apparently not found there,
and the claspers were hairy and flattish, so anceps is as close as we get.

We saw only one of these robust females ovipositing in a muddy stream
on wet leaves or mud along the blue trail at FEV. She was tan with metallic
green darker areas; slightly flavescent wings with tan pseudostigma;
s9 and s10 pale; ovipositor extended well beyond tip of abdomen and was
pale with a narrow black rim. This also points to A. anceps; 7 March 2009.

Spine-tipped Dancer, Argia extranea; a nearly identical individual
we photographed in Panama was identified as such by Dennis Paulson.


Paulson also thinks this is a dark A. extranea. Around our cabin at FEV, 4 March 2009.

Bluepoint Dancer, Argia oculata, part of variable species complex.
Head and abdomen shots. GN, 9 March 2009.

Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea). First found, including pairs in tandem
and ovipositing, at GN, 9 March. Also found at most stream crossings at
Domitila, 12-14 March 2009.

We saw surprisingly few dark-colored Argia. This appears to be
Dusky Dancer, Argia translata, although the pattern on the tip of
the abdomen is not an exact match (I understand they are quite variable).
At a pool on Rio Pintal at Domitila, 12 March 2009.

Caribbean Yellowface (Neoerythromma cultellatum). Pestering all other
damsels at Rio Hacienda, Domitila, 14 March 2009.

This gorgeous Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) was
buzzing around our cabin at FEV, 8 March 2009.

Bar-sided Darner (Gynacantha mexicana), in the Hotel Alhambra
hallway, Granada, 11 March 2009.

We saw plenty of Brown Setwings (Dythemis sterilis) at Domitila. They
seemed obvious in the field, but not in the hand. 12 March 2009.

It took forever to catch this Red Pondhawk (Erythemis
haematogastra). Rio Hacienda, Domitila, 14 March 2009.

Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebja), Domitila, 12 March 2009.

Black-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax funerea). The bottom photo
is an immature which looks like a Band-winged Dragonlet, E. umbrata.
However, note the uneven width of the wing bands,with the
hindwing band broader than the forewing (nice tip from Paulson).
Domitila, 13 March 2009.

We did have Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata), too.
Also near Rio Pintal, Domitila, 12 March 2009.

Hard to believe this is the same species we saw in 2005
in Panama. Wide-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans),
GN, 9 March 2009.

Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella), with a thorax that
seems sort of heavily patterned. Domitila, 12 March 2009.

There were far fewer dashers than expected. This was one of a few
Spot-tailed Dashers (Micrathyria aequalis) found on Rio Pintal within a
couple of kilometers of Lake Nicaragua, Domitila 13 March 2009.

Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea); common at Domitila,
12-14 March 2009.

Female Orthemis levis, Domitila, 13 March 2009.

This female Orthemis was perhaps one of our most interesting odes of the trip.
The thorax isn't quite as patterned as O. ferruginea. Paulson first identified it
as Orthemis schmidti (also here) which has not been recorded for Nicaragua. Later,
he thought it must be a heavily-patterned Orthemis discolor.
Along a dusty road near a goat pen, GN, 9 March 2009.

Female Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes). This one had us
stumped for awhile. Around our cabin at FEV, 4 March 2009.

Striped Saddlebags (Tramea calverti) was abundant in swarms at
Domitila. 12 March 2009.

Species seen at FEV:

1. Hetaerina cruentata
2. Anisagrion allopterum
3. Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps)
4. Spine-tipped Dancer (Argia extranea)
5. Turquoise-tipped Darner (Aeshna psilus)
6. Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa)
7. Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes)

Species seen at "General Nestor's":

1. Racket-tipped Rubyspot (Hetaerina occisa)
2. Archilestes grandis
3. Bluepoint Dancer (Argia occulata)
4. Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea)
5. Amazon Darner (Anax amazili)
6. Wide-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans)
7. Orthemis discolor
   
8. Pallid Amberwing (Perithemis mooma)
   

Species seen at Domitila:

1. Hetaerina caja
2. Racket-tipped Rubyspot (Hetaerina occisa)
3. Lemon-tipped Helicopter Damsel (Mecistogaster ornata)
4. Amelia's Threadtail (Neoneura amelia)
5. Orange-striped Threadtail (Protoneura cara)
6. Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea)
7. Dusky Dancer (Argia translata)
8. Caribbean Yellowface (Neoerythromma cultellatum)
9. Brechmorhoga vivax
10. Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis)
11. Red Pondhawk (Erythemis haematogastra)
12. Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja)
13. Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa)
14. Black-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax funerea)
15. Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata)
16. Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella)
17. Miathyria simplex -- new for Nicaragua!
    
18. Spot-tailed Dasher (Micrathyria aequalis)
19. Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea)
20. Orthemis levis
21. Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens)
22. Striped Saddlebags (Tramea calverti)
    

Many thanks to Dennis Paulson for helping out with ID's.

70F in November

Who would think that we'd have 70 degrees F during the first week of November in southeast Michigan? This prompted me to get out during lunch periods to look for late odes and I wasn't disappointed.

Monday, November 3: I was searching for Rusty Blackbirds in the wet woods of Lakeshore Park in Novi (Oakland County). A nearly dry pond allowed me to walk around the area. Initially there were a couple of Autumn Meadowhawks (Sympetrum vicinum) flitting about and I soon realized there were several pairs of spreadwings (Lestes sp.) coupled and laying eggs on cattails.

These Spotted Spreadwings (Lestes congener) represent a new late date for Michigan. The previous late date was October 30.
















Tuesday, November 4: I decided to make another attempt to find Great Spreadwings (Archilestes grandis) at the only known location in Michigan. Nannothemis and/or myself had made a few checks earlier in the season and feared they weren't present in the Livonia location this year.

Initially I found a male Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita) which represented a new late date for Michigan. The previous late date was October 16. There were two males and two females present. Here's one female:
Within minutes a female Great Spreadwing (A. grandis) landed in front of me. Not only did I confirm their population was still present but it represented a new late date for Michigan. The previous late date was October 16. There were two or three males and one female present.
The female:

Here's the last male I observed:
Also present was one male Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum). Not a late date but getting close to the record of November 13.

I doubt I'll find any further late dates this year since a cold front will arrive in the next day and we'll return to typical November weather with highs in the 40s (which doesn't normally include flying insects).

An honor for a friend

As some of you know, or have gathered, I'm an ornithologist by profession; Stylurus is an engineer. Our interests in other taxa are varied, but our passion for Odonata was supported and stoked by one person, Mark O'Brien, collections manager of insects at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology and head honcho of the Michigan Odonata Survey. Yes, it's all his fault.

He recently received one of the coolest honors that anybody can get, and one that is especially super-cool for those of us who are really into natural history and taxonomy: he had a species named after him. It is a tropical damselfly, Homeoura obrieni, described by Natalia von Ellenreider. Maybe Mark would have preferred a wasp, since that was his taxa of academic expertise, but it seems like he's thoroughly adopted odes, and I know he's pleased.

I waded through the paper to learn a little more about Mark's namesake. It describes the history of the genus Homeoura as "complex and tortuous," with the species currently ascribed to it as belonging to a number of other genera in the pond damsel family Coenagrionidae at one point or another over the last 90 years. von Ellenreider works it all out, putting two former Homeoura species in another genus, keeping three species, transferring a forktail (Ischnura) to Homeoura, and describing H. obrieni. The 26-page paper includes lots of illustrations and keys.

The genus Homeoura consists of small, mostly black damsels with pale blue or yellow areas. H. obrieni is not newly discovered in the just-collected sense, but is described from older museum specimens. Specimens of H. obrieni were previously misidentified as Argentagrion lindneri, A. nepos, and H. nepos. This species is found in lentic habitats in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. The photo above doesn't reveal much. I found a few photos of H. nepos (which may or may not be that species, or H. obrieni), and can tell you that these do indeed look like little forktails. Much like our familiar Eastern Forktail, but with Citrine Forktail-like red stigma. Here's a dull, dried out pair of H. nepos specimens from Dennis Paulson, a male from Tom Davis from Brazil, and a female from Arvind Bhateja.

von Ellenreider states the etymology: "Named after my colleague Mark O'Brien, in gratitude for his manifold assistance to students interested in the rich dragonfly collection at the UMMZ."

Indeed, Mark is deserving of recognition for fostering Odonata love far and wide. Not only did he encourage the Urban Dragon Hunters into being, but he and his wife have also become two of our most fun and valued friends. Congrats, Mark, on this honor, and thanks for all your support and friendship!

von Ellenreider, N. 2008. Revalidation of Argentagrion and redefinition of Homeoura, with the description of H. obrieni n. sp. (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent.67: 81-106.