Common Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Pacific Coast: A Life Size Field Guide

Common Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Pacific Coast is a field guide to the 60 most common West Coast species of these beautiful and fascinating insects. This book contains a full color, two-page spread on each of the described species. Each spread includes a life-size photo, field identification marks, a range map, flight season chart, and a discussion of habitat and behavior. In addition to the individual spreads, the book contains a description of dragonfly and damselfly anatomy, reproduction, ecology, and tips for observation and photography. Dr. Walker also discusses and illustrates the newly described Splash-Dunk / Spin-Dry behavior, in which dragonflies plunge into a lake or pond to clean themselves, and then dry off by spinning head-over-heels at 1,000 rpm--the fastest known rotational motion of any animal. An easy-to-use guide for the recreational viewer, this book also provides enough information to satisfy an advanced observer.