Dragonfly Swarm Project

The Dragonfly Swarm Project uses the power of the internet to allow everyone to participate in a large-scale study of dragonfly swarming behavior. Participants observe dragonfly swarms wherever they occur, make observations of the composition and behavior of the swarm, then submit a report online.

Data is compiled from the reports by an aquatic entomologist with a passion for dragonflies. Her goal is to use the data collected from participants for two purposes: 1) to publish data from a massive number of dragonfly swarms in the scientific literature, making this information available to scientists, and 2) to provide information about this behavior to the public. Many people see dragonfly swarms and are curious about what they see. The creator of this project hopes to provide answers to the curious while simultaneously collecting information from eye-witnesses to improve our overall knowledge of this fascinating behavior.

Because any given person has to be in the right place at the right time to see a dragonfly swarm, this project isn't possible for a single scientist to do alone. Collecting data from a large network of people is thus the best way to study dragonfly swarming behavior. Participation requires only curiosity and a few minutes of your time, so keep an eye out for dragonfly swarms in your area this summer and send in your reports!

Thanks in advance for your participation!

Participating in this project is easy! There are only three steps:

1. Look for dragonfly swarms in your area.

2. If you see one, try to make note of as many details as you can - time of day, how/where they are flying, how many there are, how high up they're flying, what the weather is like, etc.

3. Visit http://thedragonflywoman.com/dsp/report/ to submit a report for your swarm!

You don't need any experience with dragonflies to get involved. There is no cost and minimal time commitment. Visit the link in the project description above for more information about the project and links to more information about dragonfly swarms.