Where to Find Dragonflies and Damselflies

Where to Find Damselflies and Dragonflies in the Cayuga Lake Region and Vicinity

BY MEENA HARIBAL

Members of the order Odonata (commonly called “odes”), dragonflies and damselflies have two compound eyes and three simple eyes. Each compound eye, in turn, comprises 8,000 to 30,000 elements called ommatidia , each of which can itself be considered a simple eye too. Positioned on each side of the head and shaped like globular helmets, the compound eyes enable odes to see 360 degrees in almost all planes at once. The separate simple eyes lie at the front of the face or at the base of the antennae, detecting prey movements and facilitating changes of direction.

That’s only one facet of the vast and wonderful world of odonates. Meena’s book presents a brief but very rich overview of odonate anatomy, life history, and behavior. If you think odes’ eyes are amazing, you really should get a copy of the book and read on about their wing structure, flight, and mating behavior – all of which are just as wonderful to contemplate.

The book is illustrated with over 400 dazzling color photographs covering over 100 of the odonate species found in our region. Though Meena’s preface pointedly states that the book is not an identification guide, you can certainly use it in this way, as it does include all expected local species, plus many rarities.

Paperback, 167 pages