[tn-dragonflies] late season dragonflies
- From: Rconnorsphoto@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-dragonflies@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:43:21 EST
As we have seen with butterflies this season, some odonates will be around
late into the fall.
Cool temps, in the upper 20s and low 30s, a frost or a light freeze, will
not necessarily kill late-season adapted odes. "A hard freeze", in the low
20s and teens, we have not had yet in the state anywhere except maybe the
mountain-tops. That's what it would take to kill these insects and put a
final end to the season.
Even after several "frosts" Marlene reported that on 11/10 in Carter
Co.she still had Shadow Darner, Autumn Meadowhawks, and Great Spreadwings.
On 11/9 in Davidson County at Hidden Lake SP I had 2 Com. Green Darners
feeding over the meadow, and 4 American Rubyspots on the Harpeth River. Over
the meadow I could see small insects in the air. So unlike our butterflies
which may run out of food source before they are actually killed of by the
cold, the dragonflies can usually find some other smaller insects to feed
on. Any mild winter day there will be a hatch of small insects flying about,
this is one way our rare, wintering western hummingbirds can survive the
winter the here.
The adult dragonflies are not that hardy.
Richard Connors
Nashville
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