The Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis, has just published a first-of-its-kind color poster of dragonflies found in California.

The dragonfly, nicknamed "mosquito hawk" for its ability to prey on mosquitoes, is the world's fastest insect, winging along at speeds up to 38 miles per hour. It preys on mosquitoes, flies, midges, gnats and other small flying insects.

The Bohart poster immortalizes 18 species of dragonflies, ranging from "Common Whitetail" and "Green Darner" to the "Western River Cruiser" and the "Bison Snaketail."

"Dragonflies are highly popular among visitors at the museum," said Fran Keller, a doctoral candidate in entomology at Bohart. "They are almost as popular as butterflies as cultural icons."

The poster, designed by Keller with images provided and donated to the museum by entomologist Greg Kareofelas of Davis, sells for $18 laminated and $15 unlaminated, with proceeds benefiting the museum's outreach programs. Kareofelas also provided the images for the recently published Bohart poster, "Butterflies of Central California."

Visitors can purchase the dragonfly and butterfly posters weekdays at the museum, 1124 Academic Surge, on the UC Davis campus, or have them shipped to them. More information is available by telephoning (530) 752-0493 or emailing the museum at bmuseum@ucdavis.edu. The Web site is at http://bohart.ucdavis.edu.

The dragonfly poster is unique in that it is of digital scans of living dragonflies, said entomology professor Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum.

Said Keller: "The eye color of the dragonflies is so vibrant because the dragonflies are alive."
Keller noted that people just seem to love dragonflies. "Dragonflies are so charismatic. They are big insects-you can see them but they're hard to catch. With their excellent eyesight, they can detect the slightest movement."

Nicknamed "devil's eye" and "devil's needle," the dragonfly excels in aerial combat, powered by its high speed, keen eyesight and fierce jaws, Keller said. But the dragonfly is actually not a fly, she noted. A fly has two wings, while the dragonfly has four.

Dragonflies and damselflies together make up the insect order Odonata. The Greek word "odon" means tooth, referring to the toothed jaws of the predatory insects.

Ten fast facts about dragonflies, as provided by the Bohart Museum:
1. Dragonflies date back before the dinosaur age.

2. The largest known prehistoric species of dragonfly, living 300 million years ago, was the Meganeura monyi.. Its wingspan measured more than two feet long.

3. The largest species today is a South American dragonfly with a wingspan of 7.5 inches. The smallest modern species is an east Asian dragonfly, the libellulid dragonfly, Nannophya pygmaea, with a wingspan of about 3/4 of an inch.

4. California is home to approximately 108 species. More than 5000 species are found worldwide.

5. Dragonflies help control pests such as mosquitoes, midges and flies, but will also dine on honey bees and butterflies.

6. The adults feed by hawking their prey. They dart off a perch to catch prey and often return to the perch to eat.

7. Most dragonflies live around lakes, ponds, streams, and marshes; their larvae, known as "nymphs," are aquatic. Some dragonfly larvae live in bromeliad flowers.

8. Dragonflies usually do not bite or sting humans, but if grasped by the abdomen, they may bite to escape.

9. The dragonfly is thought to have better eyesight than any other insect. Its compound eyes take up much of the insect's head. Each compound eye has up to 30,000 facets or sensor modules, arranged to provide nearly a 360-degree field of vision. That's why it's difficult to sneak up on them.

10. Dragonflies are a common motif in Native American art, displayed on Zuni pottery, Hopi rock art and on Pueblo necklaces. In Japan, they are considered symbols of courage, strength and happiness.

The Bohart Museum of Entomology, founded in 1946 by noted UC Davis entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007) is a teaching, research and public service facility that houses more than seven million insects. It has the seventh largest insect collection in North America.



See the poster at http://www.ucmrp.ucdavis.edu/news/dragonflyposter.html.