ID 101 - An Introduction to Odonate Identification
 For the novice, individual species of dragonflies and damselflies are notoriously
difficult to identify. Whether viewing dragonflies and damselflies through binoculars
or in-hand examination, you need to familiarize yourself with some of those distinctive
characteristics found on the head, thorax and abdomen of your insect. Key areas
in making identification may include color, patterns and shapes.
Not sure what all the parts of an Odonate are named?
First, let's decide whether it is a dragonfly or damselfly. Not sure?
If you know for sure which it is, click either
or
for more information on what to look for. We don't provide a key, but will
give you pointers on what types of things to look for and make notes of.
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