Keep an eye peeled for dragonflies on the lakefront
By Katie Drews September 11, 2011 7:54PM
A Common Green Darner (Anax junius). A mature male
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Updated: November 30, 2011 12:16AM
Those still active along Chicago’s lakefront might want to keep an eye out for swarms of dancing dragonflies.
Mid-September is peak migration time for the Common Green Darner, one of the most visible dragonfly species in the region.
The insects from northern Illinois and Wisconsin heading south will likely find their way along Lake Michigan as they seem to follow topographic lines and ridges when they move, according to Marla Garrison, a biology instructor at McHenry County College.
Garrison once witnessed a swarm of thousands of dragonflies zigzagging along the lake near Evanston that sent people running and screaming. (The insects are harmless. They do not typically bite or sting.)
Not much is known about dragonfly migration and only a handful of species will make the trip south. With the green darner, some will stay put while others migrate, in what seems to be an evolutionary strategy.
Unlike migratory birds and monarch butterflies, migratory dragonflies do not appear to have a specific destination, according to Craig Stettner, coordinator of the Dragonfly Monitoring Network, a project that records the various species found in the Chicago area.
Instead, they wait for a low-pressure system to move in and then follow the air currents. They will likely go wherever the wind blows them.
The green darners are easy to spot with bright blue and green coloring, said Beth Johnson, a DMN volunteer.
“They are just a wonderful species to observe,” she said. “They’re friendly, too. They’ll come to you and fly around you. They seem to like you.”
Though they might not necessarily come in to Chicago by the thousands, the bugs may still be found darting around the sky in a frenzy.
ChicagoWildlifeNews.com
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