{"id":15979,"date":"2021-06-28T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-28T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=15979"},"modified":"2021-06-24T15:11:17","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T19:11:17","slug":"take-5-dragons-damsels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-dragons-damsels\/","title":{"rendered":"Take 5: Dragons & Damsels"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Plentiful and easy to spot, the dragonflies and damselflies that make up the order\u00a0Odonata<\/em>\u00a0are the largest insects you\u2019re likely to see in Massachusetts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are more than 5,000 known species of dragonflies, with over 180 recorded in New England alone. They come in a dazzling array of colors, some even appearing iridescent in sunlight. Best of all, adult odonates eat a steady diet of other flying insects, including those pesky mosquitoes and black flies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about odonates<\/a> on our website, including how to tell the difference between dragonflies and damselflies<\/a>, and how to join an upcoming odonate program<\/a> or odonate monitoring project<\/a> near you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five gorgeous photos of “dragons and damsels” from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors<\/a> photo contest. The 2021 photo contest is open now, so submit your beautiful photos of the nature of Massachusetts today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Calico
Calico Pennant \u00a9 Cheryl Rose<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Orange
Orange Bluet \u00a9 Sherri VandenAkker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Blue
Blue Dasher \u00a9 Nancy Wright<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Halloween
Halloween Pennant \u00a9 Verne Arnold<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Skimming
Skimming Bluet \u00a9 Kim Nagy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plentiful and easy to spot, the dragonflies and damselflies that make up the order\u00a0Odonata\u00a0are the largest insects you\u2019re likely to see in Massachusetts. There are more than 5,000 known species of dragonflies, with over 180 recorded in New England alone. They come in a dazzling array of colors, some even appearing iridescent in sunlight. Best […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":15986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[158],"tags":[267,266,133,268,84],"class_list":["post-15979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-take-5","tag-damselflies","tag-dragonflies","tag-insects","tag-odonates","tag-photography"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/4036Cheryl_Rose34554-2.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-49J","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11435,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-dashing-dragonflies\/","url_meta":{"origin":15979,"position":0},"title":"Take 5: Dashing Dragonflies","author":"Ryan D.","date":"July 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Plentiful and easy to spot, dragonflies are some of the largest insects you\u2019re likely to see in Massachusetts.\u00a0They come in a dazzling array of colors, some even appearing iridescent in sunlight. Best of all, adult odonates eat a steady diet of other flying insects, including those pesky mosquitoes and black\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Blue Dasher dragonfly (female) \u00a9 Charles Zapolski","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/07\/1556CharlesZapolski5312_fi.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/07\/1556CharlesZapolski5312_fi.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/07\/1556CharlesZapolski5312_fi.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9758,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/a-good-year-for-monarchs\/","url_meta":{"origin":15979,"position":1},"title":"A Good Year for Monarchs?","author":"Hillary T.","date":"September 12, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"During the last week of August, Regional Scientist Robert Buchsbaum and several Mass Audubon naturalists and scientists took a field trip to Conway Hills Wildlife Sanctuary just west of the Connecticut River in Conway, MA. While there, they were pleasantly surprised by what they saw. Here's Robert's report: --- The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/monarch600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/monarch600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/monarch600.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3910,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-odes\/","url_meta":{"origin":15979,"position":2},"title":"Take 5: Odes","author":"Rosemary","date":"August 25, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Dragonflies and damselflies, affectionately\u00a0known as odes (from their scientific order Odonata), are out in abundance. In past years, our\u00a0Photo Contest\u00a0participants have put their own unique spins on this fascinating\u00a0subject. Have a great shot of your own? There\u2019s still time to enter the\u00a02014 Picture This Photo Contest!","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/08\/111CherylRose5903.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4482,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/mass-audubon-by-the-numbers-2014\/","url_meta":{"origin":15979,"position":3},"title":"Mass Audubon By the Numbers: 2014","author":"Hillary T.","date":"December 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"This holiday season we\u00a0have much to celebrate! This was a great year for wildlife and wild lands in Massachusetts because of people like you. Here, a look at the past year by the numbers. For more on the year's accomplishments, check out our Annual Report. #1 is Mass Audubon's ranking\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stuff We Love"","block_context":{"text":"Stuff We Love","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/stuff-we-love\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/12\/Stony-Brook_Camp_2014_Heather-Cooper-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/12\/Stony-Brook_Camp_2014_Heather-Cooper-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/12\/Stony-Brook_Camp_2014_Heather-Cooper-7.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9403,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/what-to-do-this-long-weekend-july-1-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":15979,"position":4},"title":"What To Do This (Long) Weekend: July 1-4","author":"Hillary T.","date":"June 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Cruise, kayak, canoe, hike, and strike a yoga pose this weekend at a wildlife sanctuary. Here are just a few ways to enjoy the outdoors. Cape Cod and the Islands Check out four different habitats at Wellfleet Bay including the forest, freshwater, brackish water, and salt marsh in search of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/06\/KayakatSunset.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/06\/KayakatSunset.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/06\/KayakatSunset.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7615,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/bugs-slugs-slither-and-slime-yucky-programs-for-young-explorers\/","url_meta":{"origin":15979,"position":5},"title":"Bugs, Slugs, Slither, and Slime: “Yucky” Programs for Young Explorers","author":"Ryan D.","date":"June 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Let\u2019s face it\u2014kids love the \u201cYuck Factor.\u201d And thankfully, there\u2019s a lot to learn from the world of slime! At Mass Audubon\u2019s wildlife sanctuaries, kids \u00a0are encouraged to look under rocks and rotting logs to see what they can find, because there\u2019s a whole world of wonder waiting to be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/eastern-red-backed-salamander-from-West-Mountain-by-Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/eastern-red-backed-salamander-from-West-Mountain-by-Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/eastern-red-backed-salamander-from-West-Mountain-by-Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15979"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15979\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15987,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15979\/revisions\/15987"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}