New Dragonfly Species in Alaska

Five dragonfly hunters flew north of the Arctic Circle and found species never seen at Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

John Hudson and Bob Armstrong, co-authors of the field guide Dragonflies of Alaska, spotted an ocellated emerald dragonfly – the first record of the species in Alaska. It is the second time a new state record has been found within the refuge. In 2004, a prairie bluet damselfly was captured at Kanuti Lake.

The seekers also found several other species of emerald dragonflies that had never been documented at Kanuti Refuge. Little is known about insect distribution, including dragonflies, in Alaska, particularly in these remote northern areas. The crew was targeting dragonflies living in Sphagnum moss bogs.

Hudson and Armstrong held an evening presentation in Bettles, Alaska, during their trip. Nine people attended – almost a third of the population of Bettles!

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