Dragonflies of California (Odonata)

CALIFORNIA DRAGONFLIES & DAMSELFLIES
aka
CALIFORNIA ODONATA
"messengers of summer and heralds of the sun" - H. Lons, poet and zoologist

Welcome to the California On-line Dragonfly Guide, the companion to our Common Dragonflies of California, A Beginner's Pocket Guide.
Here you will find links to information & photos about all the dragonflies and damselflies found in California,
and also information on books and general information about dragonflies.
Please scroll down the page to find the links that interest you. - Kathy Biggs, site creator
The on-line guide is located below the links to dragonfly guides and essentials.
Below the guide links are other links to information about their life cycles, sightings and to other CA related dragonfly websites.

Books and equipment: (click image to learn more about it, use your back button to return)

- NEW -
Revision of CA's 1st dragonfly guide:
Common Dragonflies of California
A Beginner's Pocket Guide.
(Revised Edition 2009)
by Kathy Biggs
- Available NOW -
100 species - ONLY $9.95

- NEW -
The West's 1st dragonfly guide:
Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West
by Dennis Paulson
- Available NOW -

The COMPLETE GUIDE for CA:
Dragonflies and Damselflies of California
Click here for more information

by Tim Manolis 2003

Dragonflies of North America,
A Color and Learn Book
with Activities (also available on a CD)

by Kathy Biggs and Tim Manolis

BELOMO 10x Triplet, Loupe & lanyard

Enter the on-line guide below.
First decide whether you want to look at Dragonflies or Damselflies,
then click on the image or the word to be taken to either the Dragonfly or the Damselfly site.
page #s used in the on-line guide refer to the page # for the species in
Common Dragonflies of California
A Beginner's Pocket Guide, revised edition 2009 by Kathy Biggs
In the center, between the dragonfly on the left, and the damselfly on the right is a magnifying glass. Use this link to key out photos of dragonflies and damselflies, or in-hand live dragonlfies. This is a GREAT way to begin learning the field marks for each species. This site is 100% privately maintained. If you've found it helpful, a donation to help keep in on the web would be appreciated, thanks! K. Biggs

Click here to go to the
descriptive and photographic
pages for
DRAGONFLIES
ANISOPTERA

Heavy-bodied; usually larger than damselflies
wings held open when perched
eyes very close together
strong fliers
about 60 species
pages 10-75

Click here to go to the
identification 'key' - use to
identify a dragonfly or damselfly
in hand or from a photo at home
PHOTO IDENTIFIER/

IN-HAND FIELD KEY -
for CALIF. DRAGONFLIES
Click above to open and use at home.
Alternately, open and print this
PDF version
to take into the field as an aid in making dragonfly identifications.

Click here to go to the
descriptive and photographic
pages for
DAMSELFLIES
ZYGOPTERA

Slender-bodied, most smaller than dragonflies
wings held together when perched
eyes far apart
weak flyers
about 40 species
pates 76- 110

Click here to download a PDF Checklist of California Dragonfly Species (198kb).
Be certain to set your printer to landscape orientation before printing out this tri-fold, double-sided checklist.

Links to more photos by Ray Bruun and others within California
Click here to access dragonfly sightings:
2009 , 2008 , 2007 , 2006 , 2005 , 2004 , 2003 , 2002 , 2001 , 2000 1999 & 1998 Sightings are available at the CalOdes Yahoo Group site.
Click here for a short history of Dragonflies in California
To join the CalOdes dragonfly discussion group ,

click on this Yahoo! button.

Click here to see a list of dragonfly related
PROGRAMS,
FIELDTRIPS, and
FESTIVALS

Click here to go to Kathy Biggs' Press Kit with links to newspaper articles and reviews, etc.

Click here to go to Dragonfly FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Click here to go to a series of photos depicting the dragonfly life cycle.

Clicking on the first link below will take you to an essay with photos providing some general information on dragonflies,
while the 2nd link will take you to info more about watching dragonflies as a hobby:
1. Damsels and Dragons - the Insect Order Odonata (Ron Lyons) 2. Odes for Beginners
Both these are good starting places for anyone who wants to learn basic information about dragonflies and damselflies and the next link gives information and links to the hobby of dragonfly watching

Click here to read the article An Interview with Kathy Biggs, on Dragonflies, Dragonfly Ponds and how She Became an Author

Chick here to visit our Bigsnest Wildlife Pond Website. There you will find information on building a pond to attract dragonflies and other wildlife. Enjoy! - Kathy Biggs

I'm glad you enjoy the dragonflies and damselflies too! THANK-YOU for visiting!!

Click here to learn about some of the dragonfly

'hotspots' in CA!

This site is proud to have been selected for the following award:

....

This page has been accessed times since Aug 28, 1998. Thank-you for your interest.

Kathy Biggs, Azalea Creek Publishing

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Archived OLD CA Dragonflies website. This site is no longer being maintained: 2009.