Dragonflies etc
Dragonflies
Dragonflies are aerial predators with a strong liking for water, so you are very likely to get ‘buzzed’ while out kayaking. They are harmless to humans. Dragonfly larvae are fully aquatic little nightmares. There are many kinds of dragonflies in the region, too many to list.
Damselflies
Damselflies are closely related to Dragonflies, but are smaller and slimmer. One obvious difference is that Dragonflies hold their wings out when resting, while Damselflies fold them back.
Crane Flies
Crane Flies are not related to Dragonflies or Damselflies; they are actually ‘true flies’. Although they resemble giant mosquitos, they do not bite.
This is a listing of some of the tiny critters that you might find. I’m not including all the invisible biting nasties that you find around the water. That’s what bug spray is for. Above is the horrible Greenhead fly – the bane of New Jersey summers. When one of these bites you, you know it.
More: Bugs …
By Ronald M. Clayton
Illustrations by author
Maintaining an aquarium filled with local fish and other aquatics can be an enjoyable, learning experience, and give you a good excuse to get out and stomp around in your local pond or stream. It’s fun collecting new animals and plants to add to the aquarium, to replace ones that have died, or as food for your locally acquired fish, and learning about your wildlife is a fascinating part of the experience. In the shimmering shallows and mysterious depths of almost any nearby body of water thrives a whole world of living things, some very ugly and some very beautiful – the variety will amaze you. If you are interested in providing inexpensive recreation and education for yourself and perhaps your family, read on.
More: An Aquarium For the Naturalist …