Field Guide to The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin Provincial Park

AUTHORS: Colin D. Jones, Andrea Kingsley, Peter Burke and Matt Holder

Review by Tony deGroot

Birders have it too good. There are so many different books and apps on birds. For us odonata watcher’s, it hasn’t been that easy. We are always struggling with finding decent dragonfly and damselfly guides. But the problem is not that there aren’t any available, it’s because these interesting insects are widely spread out, seasonal flyers, a few migrators and so many species are extremely localised. Another issue is that many species (not all), need to be closely examined to identify.

For our area (Ontario), one of my favourite Odonata guides is the Dragonfly & Damselflies of Algonquin Park. The species in this covers most of the common dragonflies and damsels of the province and all of the 135 species found in Algonquin Park.  The guide is made up of detailed drawings that point out and show special identifying features and, in many cases, different angles of each individual. Sizes are also displayed, adding to assisting in identification.  The book also provides details of many appendages of the more difficult to identify species.

 

 

 

When I am looking to identify a dragon or damsel, this is the book I turn to first. If I am going to bring a guide out with me, this fits as well because it is small and light enough to slip in my back pack.

For a more comprehensive guide, see Dragonfly & Damselflies of the East