A New Libellulid Dragonfly Species for Manitoba
By Deanna Dodgson, Larry de March & Jim Reist
Photo by: Larry de March
In Sandilands Provincial Forest on July 10, 2016, Jim Reist discovered and documented the first known occurrence of Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa) in Manitoba. The nearest known record of the species is approximately 200 km away in Minnesota.
Initial sightings were solely of females. Subsequent visits by Reist confirmed the presence of males and that breeding populations had been established at several water bodies. Further documentation of the population was obtained by Larry de March and Deanna Dodgson on a few separate trips to the location. Reist is currently writing a paper to formally document the discovery. The exact location will be made available at the time of publication.
It will be of great interest to see how this attractive dragonfly fares next season. How big will the Sandilands population grow? Will they establish new breeding sites elsewhere in the southern Manitoba? Only time will tell. As with all dragonflies, many factors come into play with regard to their survival: alteration or destruction of habitat, dispersal ability, weather, etc.
We cannot be sure when the Calico Pennant arrived here but we hope it is here to stay!