Chico Area Dragonflies
Chico Area

We retraced C.H. Kennedy's Steps! Link to Topozone.com map

Big Chico Creek and surrounding Bidwell Park in Butte County not only support a diverse odonate fauna, but also are places where Clarence Kennedy collected when preparing his seminal paper on California Odonata. Many Pacific coast species are common here along the creek, and isolated seeps and springs in Big Chico Canyon and nearby Butte Creek Canyon harbor isolated populations of Libellula croceipennis, L. comanche and L. nodisticta although none were seen on this part of the DSA meeting.

Images of Bison Snaketails by Chris Heaivilin
Images of Emma's Dancers by Chris Heaivilin
Species seen at "Alligator Hole" on big Chico Creek:

1

Hetaerina americana

American Rubyspot

2

Argia agroides

California Dancer

3

A. emma

Emma's Dancer

4

A. lugens

Sooty Dancer

5

A. vivida

Vivid Dancer

6

Enallagma civile

Familiar Bluet

7

E. cyathigerum

Northern Bluet

8

Gomphus kurilis

Pacific Clubtail

9

Ophiogomphus bison

Bison Snaketail

10

Ophiogomphus occidentis

Sinuous Snaketail

11

Macromia magnifica

Western River Cruiser

11

Brechmorhoga mendax

Pale-faced Clubskimmer

12

L. saturata

Flame Skimmer

13

Paltothemislineatipes

Red Rock Skimmer

14

P. hymeneae

Spot-winged Glider

15

Tramea lacerata

Black Saddlebags

An additional place visited to see/photograph/collect was Horseshoe Lake in Bidwell Park. Seen there:

1

Enallagma civile

Familiar Bluet

2

Ischnura cervula

Pacific Forktail

3

Ischnura denticollis

lack-fronted Forktail

4

Ischnura perparva

Western Forktail

5

Telebasis salva

Desert Firetail

6

Aeshna multicolor

Blue-eyed Darner

7

Anax junius

Common Green Darner

8

Erpetogompus compositus

White-belted Ringtail

9

Ophiogomphus bison

Bison Snaketail

10

Ophiogomphus occidentis

Sinuous Snaketail

11

Libellula forensis

Eight-spotted Skimmer

12

Libellula luctuosa

Widow Skimmer

13

Libellula (Plathemis) lydia

Common Whitetail

14

Libellula pulchella

Twelve-spotted Skimmer

15

L. saturata

Flame Skimmer

16

Paltothemis lineatipes

Red Rock Skimmer

17

Pachidyplax longipennis

Blue Dasher

18

Tramea lacerata

Black Saddlebags




Then we were off to search for Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) in the Darlingtonia bog at Cherry Hill.

Cherry Hill is a mid-elevation mountain seepage nestled in the highest corner of Butte Co., about an hour's drive northeast of Bidwell Park. It was easily included in a day trip, and proved to be a fantastic place to encounter Tanypteryx hageni, although the Somatochlora semicircularis and other western mountain species hoped for weren't as cooperative.


Link to Topozone.com map
Click on these images taken at Butterfly Valley, Cherry Hill to enlarge them.
All images this page by Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record/Mercury Register


Many of us had wonderful moments there watching the many Black Petaltails Tanypteryx hageni, including seeing them in tandem, in cop and the females ovipositing. Also their burrows were found and some lucky folks got to the larva/nymph. Many exuviae were found.

Click here to go to photos of Black Petaltails Tanypteryx hageni,
taken by John Abbott (use your back button to return)
or here for some by Chris Heaivilin

The site's species list:

1

Amphiagrion abbreviatum

Western Red Damsel

2

Argia vivida

Vivid Dancer

3

Tanypteryx hageni

Black Petaltail

4

Cordulegaster dorsalis

Pacific Spiketail

And in a clearing at nearby road

1

Libellula nodisticta

Hoary Skimmer

2

Sympetrum corruptum

Variegated Meadowhawk