Dragonflies, Butterflies, & Skippers--IWIN Class at Lost Mound

The last week in August was hot and humid in Illinois, and that is the week that the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) held their summer Illinois Wilds Institute for Nature (IWIN) Workshop, Dragonflies, Butterflies, and Skippers, at the Lost Mound INHS field station. 40 or so adults from all over Illnois (and one couple from Iowa!) braved the steamy weather to learn more about these wonderful creatures.


CommonGreenDarnerWheel-LM-N0000287s
Originally uploaded by jward199

Damselfly Wheel at Mississippi Palisades

Golden colored damselflies mating in wheel position. I couldn't keep them both in the plane of focus. First one, then the other, then the male flew them to another blade, without losing their wheel position, however, it was out of my reach.

DamselflyWheelPalasidesN0000203(1)s
Originally uploaded by jward199

DragonflyEyesLostMoundN0000210(1)s

Is this a Blue Dasher? Those green eyes! I have no notes and no other photos. How beautiful, though unidentified.

Originally uploaded by jward199

GreenDarnerWheelLostMoundN0000279s

Here is a pair of Common Green Darner dragonflies in wheel position, from the side.

View from below of the mating green darners in the wheel position.

GreenDarnerWheelLostMoundN0000279s
Originally uploaded by jward199

Common Green Darner Wheel--Lost Mound

Close-up, cropped view of the male, then a cropped view of the male clasping the female's head during mating.

Common Green Darner Wheel--Lost Mound
Originally uploaded by jward199

TreeFrogV0000043

TreeFrogV0000043
Originally uploaded by jward199

A tiny green tree frog hiding in the cool shade of the milkweed plant.

Lily Pads at Mississippi Palisades

Lily pads, each their own little world, floating on the shallow backwaters of the Mississippi.

LilyPadsPalasidesN0000189
Originally uploaded by jward199