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Mississippi National River and Recreation AreaA brilliant orange and black monarch butterfly sits on a yellow flower.
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Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
Insects, Spiders, Centipedes, Millipedes
 

Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata)
About 100 species of dragonflies and 40 species of damselflies live in Minnesota. Dragonfly watching on warm days in late morning into the evening is a rapidly growing hobby for many people. Following are several of the more interesting species or groups of these intriguing insects that may be found in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Dragonflies Damselflies
Blue Dasher
Common Green Darner
Common Whitetail
Eastern Pondhawk
Four-spotted Skimmer
Halloween Pennant
Meadowhawks
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Widow Skimmer
Bluets
Ebony Jewelwing
Spreadwings


A dragonfly rests on a seedhead.
Minnesota Odonata Survey
Citizen scientists can help determine the distribution of dragonflies across Minnesota.
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A white admiral butterfly perched on a green leaf against a blue sky.
An Online Guide to Insects
BugGuide.net is a great resource for identifying insects.
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Coon Rapids Dam  

Did You Know?
Over 600 men worked around the clock using hand tools, horses and coal powered shovels to build the original Coon Rapids Dam in 1913. The dam was rebuilt between 1995 and 1997.

Last Updated: April 02, 2009 at 16:16 EST