colleyville dragonfly museum

record attendance at the museum

2012-01-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my father's 60th birthday so some friends came over to celebrate. The only reason this applies to the Colleyville Dragonfly Museum's blog is because the museum is hosted on the second floor of my parent's house.

As you can imagine...word has gotten around over the past few years that I am a pretend curator of a fake museum...and many* of the guests at the party were interested in seeing this fascinating collection of winged friends. After cake and ice cream, a whopping five guests (and one curator) raced upstairs to the museum/my bedroom to engage in an entomological learning experience!

In the past, mostly children have visited the museum but this case was interesting because the age range of the guests was between 26 and whatever age Billy's mom is (probably close to 55 or so). The visitors were genuinely excited and two even said they'd be interested in coming along on a field trip/quest for more specimens. They asked questions about how I caught the dragonflies, how many species were in America and how they can be preserved (thankfully I either knew or bullshitted the answers...jk). I was overwhelmed with their reaction to the museum and it was a great feeling to see that the work I've done was enjoyed by someone else as well as myself.

*= at least three were interested, two were possible tag-alongs

new direction

2012-01-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

Well...my lifelong dream of moving to China to publish one blog post about dragonflies has been completed and now that that's out of the way I have relocated back to America. All seriousness aside, though I did not stay the intended duration of my trip in China I do not consider it a failure. While the trip didn't turn out how I had wanted it to (my blog about my China experience), I learned a lot of things I wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn were I stateside. As well...obviously, I saw some badass new dragonflies!!

Coming back home felt somewhat like a setback in many ways and I knew I didn't want to be where I was. Though it's not necessarily the most appealing form of motivation, being extremely frustrated with your situation can do the trick sometimes.

Now that I'm back in the motherland I have decided on pursuing what I have mentioned a previous blogpost, ecstatic beginnings--going back to school to study insects!! As can probably be surmised from the color scheme of my website (and generally informal tone of my writing and observations), I'm not currently a real scientist. It hurts to admit this to myself. At best, I'm an amateur entomologist. Can there be any merit in this?? I needed answers...to find out if little old me, with a useless liberal arts degree, could go to grad school and get a science-based degree!

Getting this process started was daunting as I expected rejection due to my lack of a real scientific background, as well as my nonexistent knowledge of how one even goes about getting into grad school. I was curious if I would be required to complete another entire undergraduate career before even beginning. I believe the answer is somewhere in the middle of starting over and starting immediately.

I am fortunate enough to relatively live close to the author of one of the books I've used to study dragonflies, Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States, Dr. John C. Abbott, who is the Curator of Entomology for the University of Texas at Austin's Texas Natural Science Center, and whose website, OdonataCentral, has also been an invaluable resource for me. I nervously e-mailed Dr. Abbott about the plausibility of entering a masters program in entomology despite not having a science background. Dr. Abbott agreed to meet with me at his office in Austin so I took a lil solo roadtrip to meet him and find out what I needed to do.

Succinctly...meeting Dr. Abbott and seeing his facility was mindblowing. It was an amazing experience for me and I couldn't stop smiling or thinking about how cool it was to be there. As well, he was supportive of my ambition and said it wasn't unprecedented to enter a grad program without the typical science-based background, which was an unbelievable relief. When I left the office I felt exhilarated, excited to start on a path that I somehow overlooked despite the fascination with insects that has been with me for years. I have a lot of work to do still but I feel more confident now in my steps.

China power!

2011-09-06T03:17:00.000-07:00

So I'm still in China, still chugging away, always on the lookout for the next big dfly, the next superstar of the world. Here are some candidates I've come across in the past few months.

Female Acisoma panorpoides (Asian pintail).

Male Acisoma panorpoides (Asian pintail) flew into my fingers.

Male Trithemis aurora (crimson dropwing) just hanging out.

Anyway, that's if for now. I've been really busy trying to give my new apartment a dragonfly theme, so I haven't even been in the field as much as I usually would be. I found an amazing iridescent damselfly a few weeks ago but I only had a wide-angle lens and didn't get any good shots. Never fear, I shall return and post soon...but for now I'm off to look for some Tiffany lamps to add to the ambiance of my new place!

mora-borium

2011-08-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

I know I said the museum was not accepting specimens due to my impending departure, but it turns out the lifestyle I've designed for myself as a hunter is too deep in my blood to obey the bureaucracy. I broke the code; I captured a handful of dflies since I wrote about the moratorium. I'm sorry but I will not apologize for this.

In the post describing the stoppage of specimen acquisition I forgot to mention a caveat stating "rare and unprecedented specimens will be admitted." This was a standard clause I asked my lawyers to tell me to put in the blog even though I didn't intend to use it (I figured I'd be too busy getting ready for the move to hunt). However, I have admitted multiple specimens and not all the specimens I have recently brought to the museum have fallen under either exceptional category. Another dictum of recalcitrance...

I write today because I could not hold back after seeing one of the most visibly magnificent (not the most dexterous fliers) dragonflies in northeast Tarrant County, Celithemis eponina (Halloween Pennant). I spotted the Halloween Pennants a few days ago and admired them from a distance, feeling inner peace permeate my body as I let my eyes follow the colorful wings of such a marvelous creature. Potential specimens were perched on the highest tips of nearby trees, eluding my powerful, MASCULINE grasp. Well today...the tables flipped...and below you can see the result of a table flipping:

A juvenile female Celithemis eponina (Halloween Pennant)...now perching in an acrylic case in the museum.

Specimens admitted since May 18th (date of blog describing inadmittance policy) include a juvenile female Celithemis eponina (Halloween Pennant), a juvenile male Perithemis tenera (Eastern Amberwing), a juvenile male Pachydiplax longipennis (Blue Dasher) and a juvenile male Gomphus vastus (Cobra Clubtail). Not to pretend to be modest or anything, but there have been a plethora of other dragonflies I have captured but restrained myself from bringing back to the museum.

A juvenile male Gomphus vastus (Cobra Clubtail)...hunter or whatever becoming the hunted or whatever.

Well, this blog entry was supposed to be published months ago but somehow I moved to China and forgot to pack it. Anyway, here it is so please enjoy. I will update soon with some real-life Chinese dragonflies...and no...their eyes aren't slanted....

See you lil dragonfly enthusiasts or my close friends (who are obligated to read this blog) later.

summer break

2011-05-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hi all. Well, spring is here and summer is next. You know what that means! Neither do I, but I have other news anyway: I am moving to China at the end of June. This means a lot for the Colleyville Dragonfly Museum. As some may know, the museum is located in the bedroom of my parent's house. My parents have recently informed me that they are going to take over my room while I am gone. Thus...admission to the museum will be temporarily suspended to the general public. Case-by-case appeals for entry can be made by contacting me via a note on this blog entry.

Expansion of the museum will also be halted while I am away. I realized today while walking that I have too much work to do before I leave for China and I cannot keep accumulating specimens--even the specimens I already have have not received enough care and attention; there are literally over 100 specimens sitting in shoeboxes on the ground because I have nowhere to put them right now.

I'm sorry for this distressing news. Blog entries will probably continue as I try to share pictures and information about our winged friends. My stomach has just informed me that I must eat or I will die, so this entry is going to be cut short. Goodbye for now.

observations of my terminal influence

2011-04-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by. A short story if I might relate it to you. My half twin brother Andrew and I went out for a walk the other day to have a dfly catching battle. This battle was to determine who would be the first to catch a dragonfly by hand. Well, I will admit right now that I got beat, and by default Andrew won, since he was the only other person playing. I'm not really ashamed.

Before he won though, I spotted a baskettail perching in front of me, less than a foot above my head. This should've been an easy catch via a quick right-handed sideswipe. Instead, I blumped up, making contact with the dragonfly but not securing a grasp. The dragonfly was sent flying by my extremely masculine attempt to capture it. Unfortunately for both of us, a male Anax junius (green darner) was watching us from a distance with binoculars, carefully taking in all of this data, with around 80% of his brain power devoted to visual processing (according to the independent research firm http://www.dragonfly-site.com/meaning-symbolize.html). This green darner, capitalizing on others' unfortunes, proceeded to swoop down and overpower the baskettail, taking it in its mouth. What it did with the baskettail in its mouth is anybody's guess but I would say he probably ate it, as dragonflies are known to need food to survive (something humans and dragonflies have in common). They are also cannibalistic. I repeatedly tried to chase down the offending darner and put him to justice for killing a dragonfly. The penalty would have been immortality by death: imprisonment for life and post-life in the Colleyville Dragonfly Museum.

In the end, I did not acquire either the green darner or the baskettail. Regardless of whether or not I caught the dragonfly, the interesting sequence of events was noteworthy, probably moreso than if I had actually captured the baskettail. It reminded me a time I was taking photos of a Perithemis tenera (eastern amberwing) and I spooked him when I moved to get closer. Immediately after the amberwing took off, an Erythemis simplicicollis (eastern pondhawk) darted in and mercilessly tore apart the amberwing. I have pictures of that incident which I will post later. These observations help me to remember to appreciate little things that can change any situation, even if it isn't obvious at first. Anything can happen. Imagine if I had not kept my eyes on the baskettail I tried to catch or the amberwing I tried to photograph--I never would've known the outcome. Of course, it is impossible to concentrate on everything at once, but it is still fun to think about.

Anyway, I hope you learned something from this blog entry. There are a few facts in here that you might be able to pick out and add to your arsenal of insect trivia...in case you ever need some conversation starters. If you already knew those tidbits or you just don't care, I'm truly sorry.

windy ramblings

2011-03-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

The weather here in Colleyville has been up and down the past week. For me this has been discouraging as I cannot go outside when the temperature drops below 60 degrees Farenheit due to a rare congenital condition called Fuckcoldweather. I am not sure if the vast temperature fluctuations are confusing our little dragonfly buddies about when to emerge, but I do know that another component of weather, wind, could be doing us all harm.

As stated in a previous blog entry, after a dragonfly emerges and its wings harden, it becomes a juvenile. These juveniles are not very strong fliers and often if you walk by a pond and startle one it may fly off before it really feels comfortable. An unsuccessful first flight for a dragonfly can do tremendous damage to its self-esteem. Doing something for the first time and feeling so awkward is something I am intimately familiar with so I can relate totally--how humiliating is it when you come out of the water for the first time, look around and puff up your wings, only to be scared by an approaching giant. What do you do?? Think fast--use those new wing things!! Bzz...bzzz. But, your wings don't even make sounds, that was just for emphasis, to make it seem like flying. Before you even know what your body is doing you are in the air, basically hang-gliding; you take off, get a little air and then go in the general direction of the wind and hope for a safe landing. What a welcome to the terrestrial and aerial world....

Irreversible wing damage can be caused by wing-to-hard-object or wing-to-water contact. This dfly's damage may stem from another sort of emerging complication. I will search for a photo that more likely displays damage by wind.

But to be serious, dragonflies don't emerge as adept fliers. First flights aren't something that usually go on their resumes, as their destination is usually just defined as: away from where I am now. Strong winds can blow juveniles mercilessly into the ground, back into the water or even into a gumball machine. Anything can happen with a gust of wind. Part of the reason a juvenile is not yet a super-flier is because it's wings are still somewhat flaccid. This is a twofer...two problems in one. Soft wings will equate to poor, uncontrolled flight. Soft wings will also be twisted, torn or fused together when they are thrust by the wind into a tree branch or back into the water. If the dragonfly's wings are damaged before they are fully hardened it is unlikely the dragonfly will ever be capable of impressing a potential mate with its flying acrobatics. But the affected dragonfly probably won't have to even worry about mating because it most likely won't live through the day. The objective of a dragonfly's first flight is to get out of the open and to shelter. Awkward sporadic flight due to damaged wings will slow the insect down and draw the attention of birds and other predators. If the dragonfly has been knocked in the water and is unable to fly it will most likely fall prey to spiders, water striders or other aquatic insects that will suck the fluids from its body.

So tell me, with this prognosis, where is the ugly yellow-colored rubber bracelet we can all donate $1 for to support the Anti-Windstrong Foundation? I'm sure we can all rally and raise enough money to cure this world of wind, right??

As much as this is weighing on me lately, I realize I shouldn't worry. Individual dragonflies will become damaged and that is tragic; my heart goes out to all families everywhere. But dragonflies as a species have been living in windy cities for over 300 million years, what is one 2011 in the bag going to do? The answer is, not a whole lot. So, be cheery...and if see a little guy hurting, remember this: peering down at a helpless doomed dragonfly is a great way to get an up-close look at some of natural selection's most heartbreaking work!!

ecstatic beginnings

2011-03-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

The time has come here in Northeast Tarrant County!! As mentioned in my previous two postings (which in extreme excitement I sent from my phone), specific Zygopterans and Epithecans have taken to the air at the Colleyville Nature Center.

I began my walk this morning with hopes of seeing some dragonflies but I made sure not to get too excited, as my fragile personality easily becomes fragmented. Walking by sections of the park I recalled years past and dragonflies the dragonflies of yore...could today be the day?? ...No, Brian, calm down, be patient. I say this to myself a lot. So I kept sauntering along, enjoying the sights of many other insects that I haven't seen in a while. I saw a six-spotted tiger beetle (species Cincindela sexguttata) along my way to the pond's edge, as well as some butterflies or moths (who cares...order Lepidoptera) and midges (suborder Nemotocera). The midges got me excited--midges are aquatic insects just like dragonflies. In fact, midges often fall prey to the mandibles of our beloved dragonflies. If only...

I think you can tell where this is headed. If not, you're retarded, because I already told you in the first paragraph.

While walking near the edge of the pond I saw some shiny little creature clumsily fly up from the shoreline. My heart literally skipped a beat. Just earlier I was thinking about what spring means to me, how the earth rejuvenates and things feel new again. I thought about a passage I'd read yesterday in a book on mindfulness and how there doesn't need to be a reason. I thought of how I don't need a reason to be so excited by dragonflies; I can just let it all go and be free. In that moment I decided I will further investigate going back to school to be an entomologist. My excitement has now derailed my blog entry....

A Zygopteran teneral with exuvia below!! Welcome to land little buddy!! He took off shortly after this photo.

Back on track. Walking the perimeter of any body of freshwater (and some bodies of saltwater) during spring, particularly in the early AM hours, you might notice dozens of times over what I described: a somewhat aimless aerial voyage by a newly-emerged dragonfly, a juvenile. If you ever find yourself in this situation you will recognize the reflections of the excessively shiny wings; the reckless flight partially due to wings which are not completely hardened.

I saw more than a handful of first-time fliers scurry away at the presence of an approaching giant (me). There were also some fallen souls who had completed the journey of their underwater lives only to be betrayed by fate when beginning their aerial lives. Usually the first specimens I collect each year are those dragonflies that are going to die within the day. This is no sure thing but some deformations that occur during emergence render the dragonflies unable to fly. Let me tell you...dragonflies are no fast walkers; their main means of transportation is flight. Without the ability to fly these dragonflies will most likely be preyed upon by birds, fish, frogs or other insects, even other dragonflies. I once saw a helpless dragonfly being eaten alive by fire ants.

Close-up of an Ishnura posita (fragile forktail) teneral sitting on my palm.

The past few years spring has truly been heralded for me by the appearance of dragonflies; when they show up it means I have made it through another winter. A youthful feeling bubbles up in me and I feel rejuvenated. It's not like I'm living my life vicariously through dragonflies or anything....

Please let me know what you think of all of this; let me know if the information was clear and informative. Thank you.

what's Latin for tragedy...

2011-02-24T17:11:00.000-08:00

Just kidding, I don't care. Natural selection takes care of a lot of our dragonfly friends, as seen in the following photographs. Sometimes I wish I would've been disposed of earlier by nature, however, I was born in the 20th century with a lion roaring in the background. Anyway, someone's loss is our benefit, and these pictures will help us bridge the gap between the very brief period in which a dragonfly lives underwater and in which it takes to the air.

Uh oh...complications emerging!!

Dragonflies spend the majority of their lives underwater developing; during this stage of their lives they are referred to as naiads. They obtain oxygen through gills, and for mobility they crawl or propel water through rectal jet propulsion. After the underwater antics cease being fun and the naiad thinks it is mature enough, if the temperature and season are right, it will crawl out of the water and literally burst out of its own back, becoming a new type of creature. From an egg to an underwater baby to an aerial adult...that's what they say. The final molts and former shells of these awesome insects are called exuviae (exuvia is singular). Walk around any pond during spring and summer and if you look near the edge you will see these exuviae clinging to blades of grass or twigs--the location of the exuvia is where the dragonfly crawled and ripped through its own back, dispensed all the water in its body, inflated its wings with oxygen, looked around at its new above-water world for a minute and then took its first flight ever!

Taking his first look around at the new world, probably feeling somewhat like Christopher Columbus once felt.

If you want to see the emerging process happening you will usually have to rise before the sun comes up and take a flashlight along with you. It is a good idea to wear waterproof boots as you actually can go down to the water's edge and inspect closely. Marshy areas are great due to the amount of vegetation that dragonflies can climb out and perch on. The vegetation provides protection from predators such as birds, frogs or dragonfly collectors.

Specimens that have had difficulties emerging can be a great resource. If you can positively identify the species of damaged dragonfly you are in the presence of, collecting the exuvia in the immediate vicinity will help you in the future. How the fuck could that help you...you ask? Well, assume you're walking around a pond and you find a number of similar exuviae but no dragonflies in sight. Ha-ha, think back to that time I told you this: positively identify an exuvia and you can know what kind of dragonflies you may be seeing in the coming weeks. Why might you not see the dragonfly flying around immediately? After taking the maiden flight, the insect stows away in bushes or something and goes through a sort of puberty, returning to the water when it is ready to sexually interact and ideally produce more dragonflies. Therefore, a good collector can identify the dragonfly by the exuvia before he sees it and then be ready in the coming week to go out and catch it! Dragonflies have personalities and preferences just like some of you and I...so knowing what to expect from a certain species can really help out.

More later, thanks for reading...and remember...take it easy guys!

Epitheca princeps

2011-02-21T08:17:00.000-08:00

The prince baskettail (Epitheca princeps) has always been a very enchanting dragonfly to me. When I first began collecting, this species seemed so majestic and elusive. Massive green eyes (when living) and an abdomen that curls upward and outward like the letter "j" when this dragonfly is hanging from a tree branch, I hardly ever saw them anywhere within reach; they were always jetting high overhead and pinching insects from the air or patrolling territories of water, towering above of the other species.

A dorsal scan of an Epitheca princeps from the CDM.

The first time I caught a prince baskettail he was perching hanging from a willow-like tree about a foot and a half (six meters for those rebels who still use the "metric system") over my head. Startled just by seeing one of these creatures sitting still, I nervously froze and questioned how I should approach him. I felt like this was the so-called moment of truth, whatever that could mean. Contemplating but not really being entirely conscious of my actions, I found myself in the air, grasping for the dragonfly. And, before I knew it, my feet were back on the ground and the prince baskettail was IN MY HAND!!

Elated, I was sort of unsure of what to do. I looked around and nobody had seen me so I was unable to get any witness testimonials. However, this is true and you can trust me because I graduated Cum Laude from the University of Texas at Arlington. For those of you who don't know, Cum Laude is the lowest of the Latin honors. I'm not bragging...I'm just saying.

Thanks for reading this blog.

new season ahead

2011-02-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo from last year, a reminder of what is coming in 2011. Species of the genus Epitheca are usually the first dragonflies to start showing up around here. They generally begin emerging in mid-March and persist maybe through August.

This fine specimen, an unidentified baskettail (Epitheca sp.), was placed in a vial of acetone moments after capture. Usually when we immediately immerse a specimen in the field it is so the specimen won't damage itself, or to preserve its ephemeral developmental state.

the Colleyville Dragonfly Museum blog begins

2011-02-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

Hello, and welcome to our blog.

My name is Brian and I am the curator and media specialist for the Colleyville Dragonfly Museum. The Colleyville Dragonfly Museum, hereafter referred to as CDM, is an non-profit housing assistance program for dragonflies located in Tarrant County. We relocate the insects to our facility (my parents' house) and display them for whoever happens to wander in the house.

This blog will share with you all of our recent acquisitions, events, news and any other interesting information.

So, welcome aboard...we're in for the ride of your stupid fucking life.