Dragonfly Solstice
I began the solstice by watching the dragonflies at Amnicola Marsh. The Green Heron paid a brief visit, and the Red-winged Blackbirds sang of territory and protecting the nest, but the Dragonflies were the great attraction on this June Saturday morning. They buzzed about without landing, and I wondered if the hunting was good.
I have identified two kinds of dragonflies at Amnicola Marsh with the iNaturalist app in the past. One was a Blue Dasher (Pachydipax longipennis), a member of the Skimmer family, the most prominent family of Dragonflies in North America. The other was a Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia), also a member of the Skimmer family.
One of my photographs only reached the family “Skimmers,” without revealing a genus or species name. Skimmers are the largest group of dragonflies. Wikipedia tells me there are approximately 1000 species worldwide.
This number increases for taxonomists who regard two other groups as subfamilies. For those who regard the two groups as separate families, the number remains at 1000. The Kaufman Field Guide to the Insects of North America gives the number of North American Skimmers as 300, with a half dozen species named on the two pages devoted to the family.
A clear and concise guide to the Skimmers of North America, which devotes one page to each species, would require over 300 pages, including introductory information and an index. I am aware of no such book, although field guides to butterflies and moths are readily available.
As a college student, I became familiar with Introduction to the Study of Insects by Borror and DeLong. The book is now in its seventh edition, and the authors are deceased; however, it remains a standard in the field, spanning several hundred pages. The dichotomous keys allow a student to identify an insect to the family level. The limited space does not allow identification of genus and species.
The number of insect species makes the iNaturalist app more practical, but naming is not the same as explaining, so I read available books and websites as time permits. This information puts the named insect into a broader context.
The rest of this article is a roundup of some news I have encountered this week.
Two Excerpts From the iNaturalist Newsletter
There are currently over 6,500 scientific papers that use iNaturalist data! Research-grade observations from iNaturalist get sent to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), which anyone around the world can use for scientific research. You can see a full list of the scientific papers that use iNaturalist data on GBIF, as well as hundreds more that use data directly from iNaturalist on the iNat Forum.
"Science isn't just for scientists — everyone can participate." In case you missed it: our Executive Director, Scott Loarie, spoke at TED 2025 about how simply pausing to notice local nature can create immense change both for the natural world and within ourselves. Watch it now!
News From Appalachia
The Appalachian Voices website serves as a hub for community development and information. Appalachian Voices is headquartered in Boone, North Carolina, and has published three of my articles. My article on freshwater snorkeling appears here.
Become a certified Tennessee Naturalist.
The Tennessee Naturalist Program offers a certification program with a series of classes at locations throughout the state. The Chattanooga Audubon Society is one organization that provides these classes. I have been through the program and recommend it heartily.
Nature News for Tennessee
The Hellbender Press is a nature and environment publication headquartered in Knoxville. They have published several of my articles. My interview with a hellbender researcher appears here.
Two Decades of Nature Center Leadership.
The Reflection Riding Nature Center and Arboretum recently honored Corey Hagen’s two decades of leadership experience. His story appears on their blog.
You had me at dragonflies. Love this, Ray.