Checking the Odonata Central database back in January I looked at the numbers, and it looks like we have been busy documenting dragonflies and damselflies TN counties over the past year. For the 95 TN counties the average as of January is at aprox. 34.5 species per county, up from aprox 30 spp per county last time I checked. Now there’ s only “21 under 21”, 21 counties with less than 21 species, but there are still 6 “basement” counties with 10 or less. This is not up to the butterfly records, but I think we Ode-watchers are fewer and have not been at it as long as the Butterfliers. We should be able to reach a county average for Odes of 50+, as is currently the case for Leps, but it will take a while. The curve flattens out once the threshold number of species, probably about 30 for odes as well as for butterflies, and it takes more time per species to add to the list. Some counties are harder to access, smaller and/or farther from population centers, thus being the least surveyed. NW TN, for example, is as under-surveyed for odes as it is for leps. But the "low hanging fruit" should be there for anyone with the time to target it. Our top county continues to be Blount at 86, and with just 14 more needed, it is within striking distance of 100 spp. It would be nice to see one TN county reach the century mark soon. Other counties with less than 30 needed to reach 100 would be Sullivan, Cumberland and Davidson. A checklist for the 156 species of TN odes is still available at the TN State Parks website, as well as checklists for 30+ State Parks/counties that Dr David Hill and I put together : _http://www.tn.gov/environment/parks/atbi/checklists/_ (http://www.tn.gov/environment/parks/atbi/checklists/) If interested, see 2 lists attached in Word arranged from least to most documented, & by counties in alphabetical order.This list is also posted at my Pbase website: _http://www.pbase.com/rconnorsnaturephoto/image/121501748_ (http://www.pbase.com/rconnorsnaturephoto/image/121501748) (here we reach the limit of my tech abilities & computer skills…) Odonata Central continues to be the best resource and clearing house for odonate records and I encourage you to continue documenting and submitting records. Enjoy the 2013 season! Richard Connors Nashville
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DFs TN counties 13B.doc
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DFs TN counties 13RC.doc
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