Dragonfly Genera of the New World: An Illustrated and Annotated Key to the Anisoptera

by Rosser W. Garrison, Natalia von Ellenrieder, Jerry A. Louton

Overview

Winner of the Single Volume Reference/Science award of the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Awards given by the Association of American Publishers

Dragonfly Genera of the New World is a beautifully illustrated and comprehensive guide to the taxonomy and ecology of dragonflies in North, Middle, and South America. A reference of the highest quality, this book reveals the striking beauty and complexity of this diverse order.

Although Odonata—dragonflies and damselflies—are among the most studied groups of insects, until now there has been no reliable means to identify the New World genera of either group. This volume provides fully illustrated and up-to-date keys for all dragonfly genera with descriptive text for each genus, accompanied by distribution maps and 1,595 diagnostic illustrations, including wing patterns and characteristics of the genitalia.

For entomologists, limnologists, and ecologists, Dragonfly Genera of the New World is an indispensable resource for field identification and laboratory research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801891786
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	09/15/2006
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	44 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Rosser W. Garrison is an insect biosystematist at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Natalia von Ellenrieder is a researcher for CONICET at IBIGEO in Salta, Argentina. Jerry A. Louton is manager of the Department of Entomology's Information Technology Unit at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Natalia von Ellenrieder is an adjunct researcher for the CONICET at the Instituto de Bio y Geociencias, Salta, Argentina. She coauthored Dragonfly Genera of the New World, also published by Johns Hopkins.
Jerry A. Louton is a museum information technology specialist with the Department of Entomology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. He coauthored Dragonfly Genera of the New World, also published by Johns Hopkins.

Table of Contents

Preface
List of Abbreviations
1. Introduction
2. Key to families
3. Petaluridae
4. Austropetaliidae
5. Aeshnidae
6. Gomphidae
7. Neopetaliidae
8. Cordulegastridae
9. Libellulidae. Key to Subfamilies
10. Macromiinae
11. Corduliinae
12. Libellulinae
Literature Cited
Distribution Tables
List of Figures
Index of Taxa

What People are Saying About This

E. O. Wilson

Dragonflies have been moving up to join butterflies as a model group for natural history and scientific study. This well-organized and readable book will help speed that trend on a hemispheric basis.

— E. O. Wilson, Harvard University

Sidney W. Dunkle

For anyone interested in the identification of New World dragonflies, especially those of Central and South America, this well-written book is worth its weight in precious metals. It is equal to a whole filing cabinet of scientific papers, and with its plethora of illustrations it can be used for the identification not only of genera but for some species as well.

— Sidney W. Dunkle, author of Dragonflies through Binoculars

Dennis Paulson

There has long been a need for a comprehensive identification manual dealing with the rich dragonfly fauna of the Americas, and here it is! With this monumental set of keys and descriptions, supported by carefully detailed and artistically pleasing drawings, anyone can now identify to genus any dragonfly specimen from this half of the world. The publication of the New World Odonata Key ushers in a new era of appreciation for dragonfly biodiversity.

— Dennis Paulson, author of Dragonflies of Washington

From the Publisher

Dragonflies have been moving up to join butterflies as a model group for natural history and scientific study. This well-organized and readable book will help speed that trend on a hemispheric basis.
—E. O. Wilson, Harvard University

For anyone interested in the identification of New World dragonflies, especially those of Central and South America, this well-written book is worth its weight in precious metals. It is equal to a whole filing cabinet of scientific papers, and with its plethora of illustrations it can be used for the identification not only of genera but for some species as well.
—Sidney W. Dunkle, author of Dragonflies through Binoculars

There has long been a need for a comprehensive identification manual dealing with the rich dragonfly fauna of the Americas, and here it is! With this monumental set of keys and descriptions, supported by carefully detailed and artistically pleasing drawings, anyone can now identify to genus any dragonfly specimen from this half of the world. The publication of the New World Odonata Key ushers in a new era of appreciation for dragonfly biodiversity.
—Dennis Paulson, author of Dragonflies of Washington

Edward O. Wilson

Dragonflies have been moving up to join butterflies as a model group for natural history and scientific study. This well-organized and readable book will help speed that trend on a hemispheric basis.

Editorial Reviews

This is the most important Odonate book published in several years.
—T.W. Donnelly, Argia

A required reference for any serious student of faunistics and biogeography.
—Beth Orr, Agrion

A reference of the highest quality, this book reveals their striking beauty and complexity. It is a real monumental work on odonate taxonomy and identification, and indispensable for every one working with the Odonata of the Americas. A great book.
—Martin Schorr, Odonatological Abstract Service

As a superb reference work for 2 continents, written with much skill and profound command of the factual knowledge, the value of the book can be hardly exaggerated.
—Odonatological Abstracts

The most significant contribution in decades.
—Robert Canning, Florida Entomologist

The authors have produced original keys that are richly illustrated . . . An outstanding volume that will be a long-standing contribution.
—John C. Abbott, American Entomologist

This is a landmark publication, and a must for all serious odonatologists and New World biodiversity specialists.
—Michael Samways, Journal of Insect Conservation

This is a well-thought out and scholarly text that will appeal to workers involved in identifying numerous specimens of damselflies in the New Worlf. I will be an indispensable resource in libraries covering entomology, natural history and limnology.
—Helen Ashton, Reference Reviews

From the Publisher

This is the most important Odonate book published in several years.

Argia - T.W. Donnelly

The most significant contribution in decades.

Florida Entomologist - Robert Canning

This is a landmark publication, and a must for all serious odonatologists and New World biodiversity specialists.

Journal of Insect Conservation - Michael Samways

A required reference for any serious student of faunistics and biogeography.

Agrion - Beth Orr

This is a well-thought out and scholarly text that will appeal to workers involved in identifying numerous specimens of damselflies in the New Worlf. I will be an indispensable resource in libraries covering entomology, natural history and limnology.

Reference Reviews - Helen Ashton

As a superb reference work for 2 continents, written with much skill and profound command of the factual knowledge, the value of the book can be hardly exaggerated.

Odonatological Abstracts

The authors have produced original keys that are richly illustrated . . . An outstanding volume that will be a long-standing contribution.

American Entomologist - John C. Abbott

A reference of the highest quality, this book reveals their striking beauty and complexity. It is a real monumental work on odonate taxonomy and identification, and indispensable for every one working with the Odonata of the Americas. A great book.

Odonatological Abstract Service - Martin Schorr

This is a well-thought out and scholarly text that will appeal to workers involved in identifying numerous specimens of damselflies in the New Worlf. I will be an indispensable resource in libraries covering entomology, natural history and limnology.

— Helen Ashton

Reference Reviews

This is a landmark publication, and a must for all serious odonatologists and New World biodiversity specialists.

— Michael Samways

Journal of Insect Conservation

The authors have produced original keys that are richly illustrated... An outstanding volume that will be a long-standing contribution.

— John C. Abbott

American Entomologist

The most significant contribution in decades.

— Robert Canning

Florida Entomologist

A reference of the highest quality, this book reveals their striking beauty and complexity. It is a real monumental work on odonate taxonomy and identification, and indispensable for every one working with the Odonata of the Americas. A great book.

— Martin Schorr

Odonatological Abstract Service

A required reference for any serious student of faunistics and biogeography.

— Beth Orr

Agrion

This is the most important Odonate book published in several years.

— T.W. Donnelly

Argia