Odonates (dragonflies and damselflies)

Name: Blue-ringed Dancer Scientific Name: Argia sedula Range Map: N.H.I.C.

Odonates are insects that include dragonflies and damselflies. Emerging over 300 million years ago, odonates are one of the oldest orders of insects alive today.

There are approximately 6,500 species of odonates globally, of which 211 species are found in Canada.

Ontario is home to 172 species of odonates, of which approximately 36% of these species are of provincial conservation concern.

One odonate species, the Rapids Clubtail (Gomphus quadricolor), is currently listed as endangered in both Ontario and Canada.

According to the General Status of Species in Canada (2010), 30 odonate species may be at risk (e.g. Spatterdock Darner, Mocha Emerald and Rapids Clubtail), 32 are sensitive, (species that are not believed to be at risk of immediate extirpation or extinction but may require special attention or protection to prevent them from becoming at risk), 101 are secure, five are undetermined (species for which insufficient data, information, or knowledge is available with which to reliably evaluate their general status) and three are accidental (species occurring infrequently and unpredictably, outside their usual range).

 
The life cycle of odonates requires both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Therefore these species are vulnerable to alterations of habitat on both land and in the water. Destruction and alteration of upland habitats and wetlands, alteration of rivers and streams, degrading water quality and the invasions of exotic species have negative impacts on odonate populations.

For more information on odonates, including distribution maps, visit the Ontario Odonata Atlas or see the list of species on the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC).

For more information on Species at Risk designations and their current status, see the Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List and the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) website.

Photography
Colin Jones