Author: Anne White | Published: December 13, 2024 | Category: Species Spotlight
This article originally appeared in the Fall + Winter 2024 Desert Ramblings
A flashy prehistoric insect.
Dragonflies are one of the most spectacular and striking insects in Oregon’s high desert, readily seen by their large, bulky bodies zipping through the warm summer air, flashing near-neon reds, blues, greens and yellows.
Belonging to the same scientific order Odonata as damselflies (which are easily distinguished from dragonflies by their slender body and wings that close when resting), dragonflies are one of the oldest insects in the world. These prehistoric creatures evolved more than 300 million years ago—pre-dating dinosaurs by 100 million years—and look remarkably similar today as when they first appeared.
There are 87 known species of dragonflies in Oregon. Common names for the species are as fantastic and varied as the rainbow of hues they flaunt. Some names reference the ease with which they move through the air—glider, darner and skimmer—while others conjure images of intimidating appearance and strength—meadowhawk, snaketail and clubtail.
The Columbia clubtail (Gomphurus lynnae) in particular is one of the rarest and most recently described dragonfly species in Oregon. Although a clubtail specimen was collected in 1952 in Rome, Oregon, it was not identified in the state until 1993 after it was distinguished as its own species. Named for their distinctive club-like tail, both male and female Columbia clubtail have yellow and black patterned bodies with bright blue eyes.
In Oregon, Columbia clubtail is only found along three slow-moving rivers that wind through the high desert, including the Owyhee River. The species lays its eggs in the water, and larvae hatch into nymphs with gills for breathing underwater. This characteristic allows the dragonfly nymph to feed on other aquatic species, such as small fish and tadpoles. Clubtail larvae proceed through multiple instars (phases of development), taking as long as two years to fully mature. Adults feed on moths, butterflies, and smaller dragonflies and damselflies in shrubs along the shoreline, but the clubtail have also been observed feeding as far as six miles away from water.
Because the insect requires clean, cool water with ample prey, the presence of dragonflies indicates healthy streamside habitat. The impacts to both water quality and temperature caused by climate change, fire, invasive nonnative vegetation and other disturbances threaten the Columbia clubtail and other dragonflies. Providing lasting protections for Oregon’s crucial desert waterways will ensure that Columbia clubtail and other dragonflies persevere in the future—perhaps for another 300 million years! Learn more about landscapes where these insects thrive at https://onda.org/regions/owyhee-canyonlands/.
