Prairie bluet damselfly. Photo by J. Hudson.

Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge’s abundant aquatic habitat provides a home for numerous species of dragonflies and damselflies. Photo by J.Hudson.

Dragonfly and damselfly expert John Hudson samples water pH at a collecting site. Photo by L. Saperstein.

Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge completed a 6-day search for prairie bluet damselflies (Coenagrion angulatum) on June 15.  One of the delicate blue-green damselflies was collected as part of the Refuge’s biological inventory program near Kanuti Lake in 2004.  Unbeknownst to Refuge staff, this was the first record of this species in Alaska, and it represented a range extension of 1,118 miles from its nearest known location in northeastern British Columbia.  Kanuti received a challenge cost-share grant to visit Kanuti Lake and nearby areas to search for more prairie bluets and describe their habitat.  Dragonfly and damselfly expert John Hudson of Juneau was the Refuge’s cooperator in the project.  Hudson, co-author of the field guide “Dragonflies of Alaska,” first identified Kanuti’s prairie bluet specimen, along with other dragonflies and damselflies collected on the refuge.

Refuge wildlife biologist Lisa Saperstein and Hudson traveled to the Refuge on June 10, hoping that the damselflies had recently emerged from their aquatic larval stage.  The hunt was a success, with prairie bluets captured at Kanuti Lake on the first day in the field, and more captured at other nearby locations on following days.  Although the prairie bluet resembles other species of bluets at first glance, it is easily identified by the broken u-shaped pattern near the top of the abdomen and the distinctive shape and color of the appendages at its tip, visible with a hand lens.  Numerous other dragonflies and damselflies were also identified, with 14 different species found at one small lake!  Kanuti’s abundant aquatic habitat and diversity of dragonflies and damselflies prompted Hudson to call the Refuge a “dragonfly factory.”