Turnitin: Prosiding SCRRD 2018 - Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Lower Santa Cruz River: Brilliant Biodiversity and Opportunities for Community Engagement

Abstract

One of the most diverse groups of aquatic invertebrates in the effluent-supported lower Santa Cruz River is the Odonata, which includes dragonflies and damselflies. Their larval life stages are aquatic and the colorful adults hunt insect prey, seek shelter, and mate in riparian areas. In this presentation, we will (1) summarize what is known about odonate diversity along the lower Santa Cruz, (2) discuss the potential of these species to draw people to the river, and (3) explore ideas for community science projects focusing on dragonflies and damselflies. We surveyed for adult and larval odonates at 10 sites along the lower Santa Cruz from April 2017 to July 2018. We gathered additional records from regional taxonomic experts (Rich Bailowitz, Doug Danforth, and Pierre Deviche) as well as photo-verified records from iNaturalist (348 observations from 36 observers). In total, 40 species of dragonflies and damselflies are currently documented from the lower Santa Cruz, which represents 42% of species known from the entire Santa Cruz basin and 29% of species known from the state of Arizona. Thirty-five of those species occur in the effluent-supported riverine reaches, with an additional five species known from Sweetwater Wetlands but not the river. Several of the most abundant species are also among the most colorful of all odonates, including the Roseate Skimmer, Mexican Amberwing, Flame Skimmer, and American Rubyspot. These beautiful taxa, and the ease of seeing them, could draw people to the river in much the same way colorful birds draw people to other locales in southern Arizona. Developing community science monitoring projects, utilizing iNaturalist or other platforms, could help connect local residents to the river and provide important phenological and species diversity data to improve management of effluent-supported habitats in the lower Santa Cruz River