Patuxent Research Refuge in mid-June 2025

[odona...@comcast.net]

The extensive heat has me staying home, drinking iced tea and catching up on my computer/data time.  I did spend the morning hours of June 11th (Wednesday), June13th (Friday) and June 22nd (Sunday) at Patuxent Research Refuge trying to cover as many of my research plots as possible. It has been a difficult field season at the Refuge, since it is under stress from budget cuts and loss, or threats of loss, of Refuge personnel. 

 In addition, the spring season with its dry vs wet periods and now with the extreme heat appears to have been tough on odonates numbers.  Not so much a reduction in the number of species seen as the number of individuals within each species observed.  This is not a new (2025) trend but something that has been noticed for several years.  It does have me concerned.

 Locations covered:

L1) Patuxent River environs near Duvall Bridge – Central Tract – See: Patuxent River at Duvall Bridge | I spent three hours on the… | Flickr

L2) Swamp area at the intersection of Telegraph Road/Mills Race Road – Central Tract

L3) Hobbs Pond Environs – Central Tract

L4) Sundew Bog & Lemon Bridge Road Marsh – North Tract – See: Old Sand Burrow at Sundew Bog | Patuxent Research Refuge, An… | Flickr

L5) Little Patuxent River near Bailey Bridge – North Tract

 

(Except for L5 (open on Sunday), all of the above locations are currently closed to the public.)

 

ODONATES SEEN:

Ebony Jewelwings – 17 -- L1, L5

American Rubyspot – 2 -- L5

Elegant Spreadwings – 3 – all mature – L3 – See: Elegant Spreadwing at Hobbs Pond | Elegant Spreadwing (Leste… | Flickr

Swamp Spreadwings – 5 – all teneral – L3

Blue-fronted Dancer – 1 – L5

Powdered Dancers – 2 – L5

Blue-tipped Dancers – 40+ -- L1, L5

Stream Bluets – 8 – L1

Skimming Bluets – 4 – L3 – See: Skimming Bluet at Hobbs Pond | Skimming Bluet (Enallagma gem… | Flickr

Turquoise Bluets – 12 – L1

Slender Bluets – 15+ – L3 – See: Slender Bluets at Hobbs Pond | Slender Bluet (Enallagma trav… | Flickr

Citrine Forktail – 1 – L4

Fragile Forktails – 10 – L3, L5

Lilypad Forktail – 1 – L3

Unicorn Clubtail – 1 – L3

Lancet Clubtails – 3 – L3

Dragonhunters – 2 – L2, L5

Common Sanddragons – 3 cast skins plus one emerging adult – L5

Common Green Darner – 1 – L4

Swamp Darners – 2 – L2, L5

Cyrano Darners – 4 – L2, L3

Prince Baskettails – 4 – L3, L1

Calico Pennants – 4 – L5

Double-ringed Pennants – 18+ -- L3, L4 – See: Double-Ringed Pennant at Hobbs Pond | Double-ringed Pennant … | Flickr  &  Male Double-Ringed Pennant | Double-ringed Pennant (Celithem… | Flickr

Eastern Pondhawks – 65+ -- all locations

Bar-winged Skimmers – 6 – L2, L4 – See: Male Bar-Winged Skimmer | Bar-winged Skimmer (Libellula axil… | Flickr

Golden-winged Skimmers – 6 – L4 – See: Male Golden-Winged Skimmer | Golden-winged Skimmer (Libellul… | Flickr

Spangled Skimmers – 4 – L2, L4

Yellow-sided Skimmers – 3 – L4

Needham’s Skimmer – 1 – L3 – likely a stray

Slaty Skimmers – 20+ – all locations

Twelve-spotted Skimmer – 1 – L2

Painted Skimmers – 11 – L2, L4

Great Blue Skimmers – 24+ – L1, L2, L3, L5

Common Whitetails – 29+ – all locations

Elfin Skimmers – 30+ – L4 – See: Male Elfin Skimmer | Elfin Skimmer (Nannothemis bella). Sund… | Flickr  &  Female Elfin Skimmer | Elfin Skimmer (Nannothemis bella). Su… | Flickr  &  Male Elfin Skimmer on Territory | Elfin Skimmer (Nannothemis… | Flickr

Blue Dashers – 250+ – all locations

Wondering Glider – 1 – over field

Black Saddlebags – 1 – over field

 

BUTTERFLIES SEEN:

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails – 1

Zebra Swallowtails – 16+

Summer Azures – 3

Eastern Tailed Blues – 4

Great Spangled Fritillaries – 6

Pearl Crescents – 4

Monarchs – 2

Red-spotted Purple – 1

Common Buckeye – 1

Anglewing – 1 – I did not get a good enough view to identify

Satyrs – 2 – I did not get a good enough view to identify

Silver-spotted Skipper – 1 – See: Silver-Spotted Skipper at Hobbs Pond | Silver-spotted Skippe… | Flickr

Horace’s Duskywing – 1 – See: Male Horace's Duskywing | Horace's Duskywing. Sundew Bog, Pa… | Flickr

 

Additional Photo – Wetland Giant Wolf Spider – See: Wetland Giant Wolf Spider | Female Wetland Giant Wolf Spider… | Flickr

 

Richard Orr