I enjoyed researching and writing about doodlebugs so much that I thought I'd expand to other common river area insects. This will be continued in the future, with discussion of dobsonflies, stoneflies, mayflies, caddisflies, and the diptera family.

One of the most commonly observed of insects along the Cacapon is the family Odonata, to which belongs the dragonfly (anisoptera) and damselfly (zygoptera). There are approximately 5000 different species and 100 to 140 are currently threatened with extinction worldwide. About 435 species live in North America, but many are very similar and hard to identify by species other than guessing based on geographic location. Approximately 200 species live in WV. Fossils of the insect show that they were on the planet 220 million years ago. They are older than all other insects except cockroaches and mayflies. Some early dragonflies had a wingspan of 2 and a half feet. They are eaten by people in some Asian countries and very important in Japanese culture, but not cuisine, so you won't find one in your sushi!

The insect has a three stage life cycle: the egg, the larva (called a nymph or naiad) and the adult. The adults have amazing mating habits. The male has an organ at the end of the tail that can latch on to a place near the head of the female. If you ever see Odonata flying in tandem, the female is bringing up the rear. Some species can only be identified by experts who examine this clutching organ. They are not mating when they are joined like this, but let no man put them asunder. My family jokes about seeing a floating leaf covered with joined damselflies as a 'damselfly motel'. The real mating occurs when the female will 'complete the circle' (although it seems to more a heart shape) by placing the tip of her abdomen at the end of the male's thorax, sometimes grooming him there with her mouth first. Sometimes damselflies flying in tandem are attacked by marauding males who swoop in and try to knock the couple apart, claiming the female as his own if he is successful with disconnection by connecting with her himself. I have observed this while tubing.

Neither the dragonfly nor the damselfly bites humans, but you might feel an occasional tiny painless pinch from the tail as they try to grip you if they happen to light on you and you remain very still. Don't worry; they aren't courting you, just trying to hang on. Most are spooked easily by movement. Please don't swat at these amazing insects, but take advantage of the close observation if one should land on you as you float in a tube or canoe or sit along the bank.

Contrary to an often circulated email of so-called facts, the adult stage lives from a few weeks to about two months (not a day!), spending its time mating and eating other insects. I was floating on a tube waiting patiently for a pesky deerfly to land on me so I could swat it, when a 'dragon hunter', one of the common larger species of anisoptera in WV, swooped in and caught it between its six legs. I swear I heard the deer fly's body crush as the dragonfly flew off laden with its prey. I let out a cheer before realizing that people on the bank were looking at me strangely. On many occasions, I have seen a damselfly light on my leg and chew up a gnat. Some may eat as many as 300 insects a day as adults. The larva, which may live a couple of years in the water, is also a voracious feeder on other insect larva. It's not hard to see why these insects are favorites of mine! Sadly, some of the larger dragonflies will eat damselflies when the opportunity occurs, but that's how nature works.

The profiles of Odonata: to the left side is a dragonfly at rest, to the right is a damselfly. Hopefully you will be able to tell them apart by these silhouettes.

FCR President's Letter Winter 2006
Ron Wilson

This is a slow time of year for most of us as far as the river is concerned, especially in terms of swimming, fishing and boating! However, those of us weekenders who have winterized cabins who like the cold, enjoy the river surrounded by snow or covered in ice. It can really be beautiful.

The Apple Butter Festival FCR booth was a success, in spite of the rain, with lots of good help and selling lots of raffle tickets and signing up several new members. We had a good turnout at our annual meeting in Nov. There was an excellent presentation by Kenneth Steward from WVU on mercury and other contamination in the river. Two current Board of Director members were re-elected and two positions were filled by Crawford and Leigh Horne (shared) and Robert and Cindy Reiffen (shared). I look forward to working with these new board members. Board members serve staggered 3 year terms. Long-term board member Bill Clowe resigned since he is leaving the area. We thank him for his many years of enthusiastic service. The winner of the beautiful red Old Town Canoe was long term FCR supporter Sharon Tebben of Berkeley Springs. See the full minutes of the meeting elsewhere on the website.

Our first major activity this year will be the annual river clean-up conducted in early April in cooperation with the WV Make It Shine program. We will have the date and place on the website and announced in the Messenger See the annual meeting minutes for a detailed list of possible projects for the year. The ones I would like to focus on are working closely with Cacapon Institute on issues related to water quality and sediment in the river, access to the river and protection of the riparian area along the river. I would also like us develop a better email network for notifying members of activities and urgent issues.

We have not decided on the date of the next Board meeting. It probably will be on the 3rd Saturday of either January or February. Check the website for the date.

Stay Warm, Ron Wilson