[Odonata-l] Band-winged Dragonlet in Ohio

[John Pogacnik]

On September 24 a juvenile band-winged dragonlet was found at a newly 
created wetland in eastern Lake County, Ohio (just east of Cleveland).  The 
following day seven juveniles were found and on the next day approximately 
20 juveniles were found.  This past week, only a single juvenile female was 
seen on Wednesday and Thursday and none were found on Friday.

The question is what happened to the dragonlets.  Did they disperse to parts 
unknown or have they just dispersed locally to return later when ready to 
breed?  Does anyone have any idea about their life history?

Here are a few brief notes about the wetland where they were found.  The 
wetland was constructed during June of this year and due to the drought did 
not begin to fill until mid-July.  There are three separate wetlands in the 
complex and the dragonlets were found in only one of the wetlands.  The 
wetland in which they were found was the first that was completed.  The 
other two wetlands were completed in late June early July.  There are 
hundreds of wandering gliders breeding in the wetland where the dragonlets 
were found as well as familiar bluets.  From the time that the wetland began 
filling to when the first gliders began hatching was 6 weeks. the time till 
the dragonlets were found was about 7-8 weeks.  Familiar bluets began 
hatching after 7-8 weeks also. There have only been a few wandering gliders 
hatching out of the other two wetland thus far, no bluets or dragonlets.

John Pogacnik