Citizen scientists bring dragonfly data up to speed using global database
Marlo Perdicas, Park Biologist
If you visit any Summit Metro Parks location in the warm months, you’ll likely encounter a dragonfly. An insect with six legs, fairy-like wings and compound eyes, dragonflies will dazzle you with their acrobatic flight and colorfully patterned bodies.
Dragonflies rely on streams or ponds for their life cycle and are important indicators of healthy water systems. They are ferocious predators of smaller insects, and whose ecosystem services we take for granted. For these reasons, it is important to understand what types of dragonflies we have in our area and where they are found.
The Ohio Division of Natural Resources and Ohio State University initiated a state-wide dragonfly survey in 2018 through iNaturalist, a global, web-based platform for collecting biodiversity data using photographs. Volunteers collecting images of dragonflies throughout the state have contributed more than 49,000 records to the project in 2018 and 2019. The Ohio Dragonfly Survey aims to combine new observations with historical dragonfly records so state wildlife officials can conduct species assessments.
In Summit County alone, 90 species were recorded, including four state endangered species and one state threatened species. Summit Metro Parks volunteers were among those contributing a significant number of observations to this project. Based on survey results, some dragonflies may come off the endangered species list, like the lilypad forktail, which has been found in great numbers recently. Others will remain a concern, like the elfin skimmer — currently only found at two locations in Ohio.
The Ohio Dragonfly Survey on iNaturalist remains open for observations. Grab your camera and visit a Metro Park to document the wonder and beauty of these fantastical beasts. Your participation as a citizen scientist on iNaturalist is a great way to contribute to conservation and make a difference for wildlife and wild places like Summit Metro Parks! For more information about iNaturalist, visit www.inaturalist.org.
For a fun summertime craft, check out our Dragonfly activity.
For more great stories like this, check out Green Islands Magazine, a bi-monthly publication from Summit Metro Parks. Summit County residents can sign up to receive the publication at home free of charge.
