Dragonflies

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Odonates: Dragonflies and Damselflies 
Odonates i.e. dragonflies and damselflies have an appeal like butterflies.  They are quite beautiful.  However they do pose more of a challenge to identify because you can't simply identify them by their wing surface like in butterflies, you must look at their entire body.  Dragonflies are gaining in popularity.  In the province of Ontario for 2008 there were six listed dragonfly counts.
Field Guide to The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin Provincial Park and the Surrounding Area Damselflies of the Northeast Dragonflies of the North Woods Damselflies of the North Woods Dragonflies through Binoculars
Field Guide to The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin Provincial Park and the Surrounding Area Pub
Illustration based.  Outstanding.  The top field guide for odonata.  Within the coverage area all the information required to identify a species of dragonfly or damselfly is included. This include details seen under a microscope. Some species in western and northern Ontario are not covered.  The detailed coverage of dragonflies makes it very useful even outside its range.
Damselflies of the Northeast 
Pub GB
Illustration based.  The top guide for damselflies and in my opinion one of the best designed field guides out there.  One of its innovation are symbols at the top right hand corner of each species account telling you what you need for species identification.  Specifically -- for male or female do you need to examine the species in the hand, under a microscope or will binoculars suffice.  For the most serious damselflies enthusiasts it has a section on identifying selected species under a microscope.  This book fills in the southern and western Ontario species of damselflies.    
Dragonflies of the North Woods, 2nd edition  Pub GB
Photograph based.  This excellent book fills in the species missing from the Algonquin guide for western Ontario and southern Ontario.  The 2nd edition now has range maps, a new species and quick ID keys.
Damselflies of the North Woods Pub GB
Photograph based
.  This excellent book that covers western Ontario damselflies may be useful as a second or third book on damselflies.  A few species that occur in the western and south-western edges of Ontario are covered briefly in the "Rare Strays to the Northwoods" section.
Dragonflies through Binoculars GB
Photograph based. Although it has small pictures that are not as useful for identifying dragonflies, it does have a wealth of information on how to find dragonflies.   This book covers the few far north Ontario species not covered in the other guides.

Damselflies of Alberta: Flying Neon Toothpicks in the Grass Common Dragonflies and Damselflies of Eastern North America Stokes Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies A Dazzle of Dragonflies
Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East GB Am Pub
Can suppliment other field guides with its additional natural history plus cover additional species.  A top guide.
Damselflies of Alberta: Flying Neon Toothpicks in the Grass
 
GB
While this book covers Alberta and thus covers only about less than half of Ontario's species you may find the species descriptions and natural history coverage interesting and entertaining.
Common Dragonflies and Damselflies of Eastern North America Am
DVD.  Useful for learning flight patterns.
Stokes Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies Am
Beginner's guide to dragonflies and damselflies.  Useful to start but quickly outgrown.
A Dazzle of Dragonflies GB
Coffee table book on dragonflies.

Dragonflies of North America
Damselflies of North America

Dragonflies of North America Am
Damselflies of North America Am
Damselflies of North America: Color Supplement Am
Technical references.  Useful for identifying immature odonata and for in-the-hand identification under a hand lens or microscope for all species.  Very expensive, especially the dragonfly book.

Regional Guides
Dragonflies & Damselflies of Northeast Ohio Pub
The state just south of Ontario.  Photographic guide.
The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Ohio Pub
More technical.  Keys.  Illustrations of small details.  Color photographs on 15 color plates.
Dragonflies of Indiana Am
Photographic guide.
Field Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies of New Jersey Pub
Photographic guide.  New Jersey is southeast of Pennsylvania.
Damselflies of Chicagoland Pub
Free PDF.  Photographic closeups.
A Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts Pub Archive Pub
Field Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies of New Jersey Pub
Color guide to common dragonflies of Wisconsin Am
A Guide to Northeastern Dragonflies and Damselflies Pub From Massachusetts Audubon


Ontario Links

Somatochlora of Southern Ontario A great guide to striped emerald.
Regional Lists of Ontario Odonata Ontario's primary odonata website, pictures, resources
Ontario Odonata Atlas Distribution of odonata in Ontario [Dead link -- will eventually come back in some form]
Great Lakes Odonata Yahoo group on odonata.  Discuss with dragonflies with other people in the Great Lakes area
A Guide to the Adult Damselflies & Dragonflies of the Ottawa District
Ontario Odonata Annual seasonal summaries of Ontario dragonflies. [Dead link]

Checklists: Renfrew County | Kingston | Ottawa (includes habitat information) | Northern Lambton County | Checklist of Ontario Odonata

Regional Links
New Jersey Odonata Detailed species accounts.
Wisconsin Dragonflies and Damselflies Detailed species accounts
Odonata of New Brunswick Photographs of most species
Dragonflies of Manitoba Doesn't have individual species but does have good natural history information
Minnesota Odonata Survey Project
Michigan Odonata Survey
New York State Dragonfly and Damselfly Survey
Odonata of Vermont

General Links
Boghaunter #9 This issue of this newsletter has special coverage of striped emeralds and shadowdragons.  Very useful information. [From the wayback machine]
Images of Odonates - United States and Canada Photographic reference guide: Multiple images of each species
  Ode News (Where the photographic reference guide comes from)
G and J Strickland Lots of angles for selected dragonflies and damselflies, not sure if all ids are correct though.
Maine Damselfly and Dragonfly Survey Photographs of most species
Digital Dragonflies Scanning of dragonflies, photographs of live specimens
Field Guide to Migratory Dragonflies
Northeast Odonata Facebook Group
Field Guide to Migratory Dragonflies (PDF)


Dragonfly Road The author of excellent book Damselflies of the Northeast is contracted to write an odonate guide for the Peterson's series.  This website tracks his progress.  If this dragonfly book has a format much like Damselflies of the Northeast, the book will be indispensable outside central Ontario.
Odes For Beginners
Biggs Wildlife Pond
OdonataCentral Google Maps Distribution Viewer
Dragonfly and Damselfly Links
Odonata Larvae of Michigan
General Guide to Dragonfly Exuviae
Dragonfly Larvae Identification Key

Aquatic Insects of Michagan - Odonata

Dragonfly Nympths
Odonata Nymphs of Michigan
Identifying dragonfly larva to family A vimeo video
A genus key to the Odonata Larvae of the Northeastern United States
Identification Keys to Northeastern Anisoptera Larvae
Dragonfly Nymphs of North America: An Identification Guide Am Due Feb15, 2019