Ontario Odonata Atlas
ONTARIO ODONATA ATLAS AND ANNUAL SUMMARY (ONTARIO ODONATA)
- NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS
Download the data Entry Template
OO_template.xls
Objectives
A specific objective of the Ontario Odonata Atlas and of Ontario Odonata
is to develop a better understanding of the seasonal and geographic occurrence
of damselflies and dragonflies in Ontario. These projects also contribute
to the monitoring of species, allow changes in overall and local distributions
to be detected, and it will also assist with the protection of vulnerable,
threatened and endangered species by providing the accurate information
needed for status reports and recovery plans.
The annual publication (Ontario Odonata) will address the additional objectives of providing information on Odonata projects, indicate how people interested in studying Odonata can do valuable work, encourage cooperation and communication, and contribute to and facilitate education. As with the Toronto Entomologists’ Assocation seasonal summary of Lepidoptera (Ontario Lepidoptera), it will be possible for members of the Toronto Entomologists’ Association to publish the results of a dragonfly project here, including regional lists, notable range extensions, and other observations.
How to submit records to the annual summary and Ontario Odonata Database
Records will be submitted using the format and field identifiers indicated
below under specific format suggestions. Contributors are encouraged to
submit records electronically, for example by attaching a database or
spreadsheet file (dBase, Access, Excel) to email or submitting a disc.
A template in Microsoft Excel is available for download HERE.
Submitting records in electronic form saves a great deal of time and is the best
method. When submitting data in a database or spreadsheet format, make
sure to classify the date field as "text." Do not classify or
format it as data or as a date type. This is to ensure that mistakes do
not occur during conversions from different database types. Although dBase
is restrictive with regard to field title length, it is relatively easily
converted. If the contributor does not have access to a database program,
then the data should be typed in ASCI text format. If a computer is not
available, hand written sheets will suffice. Recording an accurate UTM
zone, easting and northing or latitude and longitude is important.
Most identifications are likely to be based on adults, but records of
larvae or exuviae are also acceptable, but should be indicated in a separate
field ("Immatures"). Tentative records may be acceptable, but
must be indicated as such with a question mark after the species name.
Contributors should be prepared to discuss the validity of their submitted
records with compilers who are responsible for ensuring a high standard
of accuracy.
Location Data (including UTM and Lat/Long)
Precise locations are very important. Locations should indicate a position
through the use of a distance and direction from a prominent landmark
that is featured on a topographic map. A post office (indicated by the
letter P on a topographic map) is useful, but a distant post office is
less useful than a nearby one. A lake, river, or town can also be used.
In order to aid in the sorting of records, locations should begin with
a landmark that is featured on a topographic map, rather than a number,
street name or local name. For example a particular collection site may
be described as "65 km W of Atikokan" but a more useful description
of this particular location would be "Little Turtle Lake, south shore,
1 km W of Mine Centre". Little Turtle Lake is featured on topographic
maps, but because there could be several Little Turtle Lakes in Ontario,
indicating that it is 1 km W of Mine Centre is very helpful. In order
to determine locations, you will need a 1:50,000 (1 mile to an inch) topographic
map. Maps and map indexes are available from: Federal Maps Inc., # 1,
52 Antares Drive. Nepean, Ontario K2E 7Z1, tel. 613-723-6366, FAX 613-723-6995,
Email fedmaps@istar.ca. They are the official regional distributor and
supply regional dealers including certain bookstores and outdoor suppliers,
and they should be able to tell you how to find a map in your region.
The map numbers for 1:50,000 (1 mile to an inch) topographic maps appear
in the lower right corner of the map sheet. Locations should indicate
a position precisely through the use of a distance and direction from
a prominent landmark. A precise location is necessary to verify a UTM
(see below) and a UTM is necessary to verify a location. The ZONE, EASTING
and NORTHING refer to the Universal Transverse Mercator Grid (UTM) reference.
ZONE is indicated in a blue GRID ZONE square on the right side of the
map, and is either 15, 16, 17 or 18 (from west to east) depending on where
in Ontario the location is. Within another blue box the method used to
describe a reference point by easting and northing is outlined. The easting
and northing numbers obtained are each 3 digits; e.g. 345 (easting) 876
(northing). In order to provide a full UTM, however, additional numbers
need to be added to each the easting and northing. Two zeros area added
to the right side of the easting and northing; e.g. 34500 (easting) and
87600 (northing). In addition, a single digit, in the case of the easting,
and two digits, in the case of the northing, are added to the left side.
These digits are read from the map itself. The single digit added to the
easting is usually the number that appears at the bottom and top of the
map, on the left-hand side of the grid. The full easting then becomes
something like 734500 (always 6 digits). The double digit added to the
northing is usually the number that appears at the left and right-hand
side of the map, at the bottom of the grid. The full northing then becomes
something like 4986600 (always 7 digits). Sometimes, these preceding digits
change part-way across the grid; e.g. from 2 to 3 in the case of an easting,
or from 49 to 50 in the case of a northing. It is essential, therefore,
to ensure that the correct digits are added to the grid reference by scanning
across the entire grid to ensure that the correct digits have been attributed.
Although UTM is preferable when reading from a map, latitude and longitude (best expressed as decimal degrees; e.g. 45.8156, -82.7557) is actually more useful in the database, but either latitude/longitude or UTM is essential. A portable geographic positioning system (GPS) is convenient and they are now much more widely available and widely used than a few years ago. Regardless of how it is obtained, the numerical location data, and for that matter all data entered on the form, should be double-checked. Remember the old saying about databases: garbage in, garbage out!
Beware of the NAD (and record it if you can as a field in the 2000 data submission)
UTM reference points based on the North American Datum (NAD) system are
of two kinds: (1) those produced in 1927 (NAD27) and those produced in
1983 (NAD83). Of course early maps have the NAD27 grid, but more recent
maps (including all new maps) are produced with NAD83 coordinates. The
kind of NAD coordinates may be indicated in the lower right or left corner
of the map, or under the conversion scale at the bottom of the map. It
is extremely beneficial to record NAD along with a UTM.
What does it matter? A coordinate recorded using a NAD27 projection will
differ from a coordinate using a NAD83 projection by approximately 200
metres in the northing and 10 metres in the easting. These distances vary
depending on where in the province a UTM is taken. As a result of these,
differences, however, errors can result in precise locational data if
the NAD is not recorded.
A transformation program (GSRUG) is available at the Natural Resources
Canada (NRCAN) web site using the Clark 1866 ellipsoid model for NAD 27
and the GRS-80 ellipsoid model for NAD 83. Conversions are possible both
ways (geographic to UTM and UTM to geographic). See www.geod.nrcan.gc.ca
Specific Format Suggestions
The editors have had to resolve several problems associated with the
standardization of data. As a result, we have the following suggestions.
A database template in Microsoft Excel is available HERE.
If you don't have a database program, you can still submit records either hand-written
on a table (supplied by a compiler), or typed provided the necessary information
is included.
The following fields must be filled out:
1) Observation Date (OBS_DATE) - please use the following format if possible
(year-month-date - eg. 2000-08-14). See also general notes above.
2) Latin Name or English Name - English names should be those voted on
and approved by the "Common Names Committee" of the Dragonfly
Society of the Americas. This list can be found on the internet at http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/NAdragons.html.
3) County (CTY) The county codes are: ALGO - Algoma, BRAN - Brant, BRUC
- Bruce, COCH - Cochrane, DUFF - Dufferin, DURH - Durham, ELGI - Elgin,
ESSE - Essex, FRON - Frontenac, GREY - Grey, HALD - Haldimand-Norfolk,
HALI - Haliburton, HALT - Halton, HAMI - Hamilton-Wentworth, HAST - Hastings,
HURO - Huron, KENO - Kenora, KENT - Kent, LAMB - Lambton, LANA - Lanark,
LEED - Leeds & Grenville, LENN - Lennox & Addington, MANI - Manitoulin,
METRO - Metropolitan Toronto, MIDD - Middlesex, MUSK - Muskoka, NIAG -
Niagara, NIPI - Nipissing, NORT - Northumberland, OTTA - Ottawa-Carleton,
OXFO - Oxford, PARR - Parry Sound, PEEL - Peel, PERT - Perth, PETE - Peterborough,
PRES - Prescott & Russell, PRIN - Prince Edward, RAIN - Rainy River,
RENF - Renfrew, SIMC - Simcoe, STOR - Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry,
SUDB - Sudbury, THUN - Thunder Bay, TIMI - Timiskaming, VICT - Victoria,
WATE - Waterloo, WELL - Wellington, YORK - York
4) Location - see detailed notes above
5) Observer(s)
6) Number of Adults (ADULTS) or Number of Immatures (larvae or exuviae)
- for the number of adults field please use the following style: # follewed
by and M for male, a F for female, a C if collected, and a P if photos
were taken, and c&r if caught and released. Examples are: 10; 1FC
(10 seen; 1 female collected);
5M, 3F (5 males, 3 females); 3M c&r, 2F c&r (3 males caught and
released, 2 females caught and
released); 1MP (1 male photo taken). If exact or approximate numbers were
not noted terms such as "a few" or "several" or "present"
(indicating that this species was noted but numbers were not) are fine.
7) Record Type - please indicate one of the following:
- sight record
- caught and released
- photographed
- collected
8) a full UTM (Zone, Easting, Northing, and NAD) OR.... LAT and LONG (see
detailed notes above). If you used a hand-held GPS unit, you can either
select NAD 27 or 83 in your set-up. See also "NAD" above.
9) UTM Source - it is helpful to indicate how a UTM or Lat/Long was derived.
Options include: a hand-held GPS unit (GPS) or a reading was taken from
a topo map (TOPO MAP)
The following fields are optional:
1) Township (TWP)
2) Notes - notes on behaviour, clarification of numbers or photographs,
any other information (note that there is a separate field for habitat).
An example of something that might appear in the notes field is something
like: a female was noted ovipositing in dead wood along the shoreline
or the female that was collected had a deformed abdomen or two pairs noted
in the wheel position.
The term "tandem" can be used to indicate that a male is holding
a female (i.e. they are not engaged in active copulation). The term "wheel"
can be used to indicate that the pair is engaged in active copulation.
It is helpful to distinguish these two terms since a tandem pair does
not necessarily indicate a mating pair (nor even the same species - for
example, males of several species may grab a female (and even males) of
other species.
3) Map Number (MAP_NO) - useful but not necessary
4) Map Square (MAP_SQUARE) - not necessary, this can be populated automatically.
5) Accurary (ACCU) - This is a helpful field when determining how accurate
a UTM or Lat/Long reading is. The following are the codes and their meanings:
0 - accurate within 1 metre (usually not used)
1 - accurate within 10 metres
2 - accurate within 100 metres (generally this is the code used if a hand-held
GPS unit was used, or if a reading was taken off of a topo map and one
was absolutely certain of where they were)
3 - accurate within 1000 metres (this is usually used if a reading was
taken from a topo map and you weren't exactly sure where you were - perhaps
because there were no prominent landmarks nearby) This is also used if
a hand-held GPS unit was taken in a central spot but you walked around
and gathered several records within a 1km radius
4 - accurate to within 10,000 metres (generally only used for records
gathered from someone else - ie. someone told you they saw such-and-such
somewhere not far south of Maynooth along Highway 62. You don't really
know exactly where, even to within 1km so an accuracy of 4 needs to be
used.
5 - greater than 10,000 metre accuracy (essentially unmapable - this is
usually reserved for historical records that just say "Kenora"
which could mean anywhere in the district of Kenora.
6) Habitat
7) Collection # - some individuals who collect specimens assign a unique
collection number to their collections
8) Collection - if a specimen was collected, this field indicates where
the specimen resides.
eg. CNC (Canadian National Collection at Agriculture Canada); ROM (Royal
Ontario Museum); NHIC (Natural Heritage Information Centre collection);
CDJ (Colin D. Jones' personal collection).
9) Specimen determined by (DET) - if a specimen exists, who determined
or identified the specimen
You may have additional fields that you use for your own data management,
and if this is the case, by all means feel free to submit your records
with or without these fields.
When to send records
Records can be submitted at any time, but for inclusion in the annual
summary, the goal is to try and have all records submitted by the end
of January each year (or shortly thereafter). Hopefully this will provide
contributors with enough time to prepare records and compilers with enough
time to compile and produce the next volume prior to the following field
season. If not, let the editors know the date when you think you could
be delivered.
Value of Observations
The preparation of distribution maps and atlases depends on geographic
data. Knowledge of flight periods and habitat depend on observations at
various stages at various dates. Even after a species has been recorded
from a particular site, continuing observations from that site are valuable
in documenting fluctuations and changes and therefore may contribute a
great deal to our knowledge of the biology of dragonflies. Such monitoring
is very important with respect to rare species and their habitats. If
a species is shown to be declining, it may be admitted to a risk category
by provincial and federal governments and then the program, funding and
planning necessary for retrieval from the risk category may be brought
to bear.
The larger and more widespread the number of records, the more reliable
the trend data. A few miscellaneous observations at a site where it has
already been reported may seem without value, but in concert with many
other observations they are a database that can be analyzed to produce
new information some of which may be beyond present imagination. Although
observations of rare species and indicator species are most important,
all observations have a potential value.
Of course monitoring may be useful when it has a very specific purpose
and when it involves testing a hypothesis, and is done in a specifically
defined area with equal effort on the same date by the same people (and
other comparable conditions) over a period of years. However, in the broad
context all observations are useful as noted above. Although estimates
and abilities may differ between observers so that numbers may not be
exact, a large number of observations provide statistically valuable evidence
when considered together.
Recording observations is not a major chore. Since an increasing number
of people observe dragonflies while doing other biology work, or in recreation,
they can easily contribute to science and conservation by submitting at
least some observations to a central database where they will not be lost,
but rather increase in value as part of a body of information that can
be analyzed and queried.
The Ontario Odonata database and annual summary has this general purpose,
i.e. to make observations valuable, useful and accessible for science
and conservation, but nor are we ruling out recreation, if for example
someone wants to see or photograph a particular species at its nearest
location.
Articles and notes for Ontario Odonata
Articles and notes should contain new information and should be written
in a brief, scientific style. Format should follow that of a recent issue.
The editors will determine suitability for publication with the help of
at least one external referee. Data should be accurate, conclusions cautious
and experimental work repeatable. Specimen vouchers or photographs should
be available in institutional (publicly available) collections to adequately
document particularly important records.
Where to send observations and articles
Completed forms should be sent to regional compilers who will edit them
and then pass them on to the provincial compiler for the annual summary.
Regional compilers may provide summaries of significant regional observations
and may also assist with identifications. Articles may also be sent, preferably
by email, to the compilers. Specimens may be sent to the regional compilers,
the provincial compiler or directly to the CNC (see address below) with
a note to the attention of the provincial compiler. The following regional
divisions (see also Fig. 1) are based on convenience and are not intended
to represent actual biological zones. It is expected that further divisions
of the province will be made, and more regional compilers will be appointed
as the summary project grows.
Northern Ontario: The regional compiler for northern Ontario is Colin
D. Jones (Box 182, Lakefield, ON K0L 2H0. work: 705-755-2166, home: 705-652-5004,
naturalist@algonquinpark.on.ca.
Northern Ontario for the purposes of the summary is defined as all parts of
Ontario north of and including Algonquin Park and Nipissing District, but
also including Haliburton, Muskoka, Renfrew and Peterborough counties
Central Southern and Eastern Ontario: The regional compiler for this
portion of the province is Paul Catling catlingp@agr.gc.ca). This portion
of Ontario includes most of the region east of a line from the south end
of Georgian Bay east to the Ottawa and St. Lawrence valleys (with the
exceptions of Peterborough, Haliburton, and Muskoka).
Southwestern Ontario: The regional compiler for this region will be Paul Pratt (7100 Matchette Rd., LaSalle, Ontraio N9J 2S3. 519-966-5852, prairie@netcore.ca). This area is that part of Ontario to the south and southwest of a line connecting the south end of Georgian Bay to Hamilton and Niagara on the Lake.
Collecting
In some cases it is necessary to collect voucher specimens to justify
significant occurrences. Put the insect alive in a 3 3/16 x 4 7/8 inch
glassine envelope. Either put a slip of paper with a date and location
in the envelope or write directly on the envelope. It is often a good
idea to keep a dragonfly alive in an envelope for at least a couple of
hours (in a cool place). This allows it to rid itself of feces before
drying and may improve colour retention. Next put the envelope in acetone
[WARNING: ACETONE IS TOXIC AND HIGHLY FLAMMABLE, as well as being highly
volatile. It may be harmful by inhalation to the liver and kidneys, and
it may also cause eye and skin irritation. Smoking and dragonfly collecting
is a very dangerous combination. Acetone should be kept in a tightly closed
unbreakable container inside a box. Use it only under well ventilated
conditions. Since acetone has a drying effect on the skin, direct contact
should be avoided through the use of forceps. Acetone should not be poured
down the drain, but disposed of like other organic solvents through drop
off at a waste disposal site designated by the municipality.] Acetone
is used for removing grease, varnish, resins, lacquer, and nail polish,
and the least expensive stock can usually be obtained from hardware stores.
Acetone quickly kills the insect, removes fat and permits rapid drying
without excess color loss. In a fresh acetone solution one to five hours
is often long enough. In used solutions a day may be sufficient. After
removing the glassine envelope from the acetone, let it dry (in a well
ventilated space). If becoming part of a permanent collection the specimen
can be placed with a 3 x 5 file card (for support) and an accurate label
in a clear cellophane envelope (an odonata envelope, see list of suppliers
below). This has become a standard method for collecting damselflies and
dragonflies and is more economical for storage than pins. Any parts that
become detached stay with the specimen.
The glassine envelopes can be obtained from stores supplying stamp collector
materials, or from biology supply companies (see below). The stores supplying
stamp and coin collector materials may also carry hand lenses (a little
more powerful and useful for identification than a simple magnifying glass).
It is not absolutely necessary to soak specimens in acetone and use glassine
envelopes, but it is always necessary to kill and dry specimens as quickly
as possible (without too much heat). They can be placed in paper envelopes
or paper triangles, following killing in a wide-mouthed bottle with cotton
or paper in the bottom to which a few tablespoons of acetone have been
added. Soon after the cessation of movement (before hardening) they should
be transferred to envelopes so that the required compression can be achieved
while they are still flexible. A delay will result in specimens that are
easily broken once they are placed envelopes.
For more information on collecting methods see www.afn.org/~iori and use
link to Dennis Paulson's site for more.
Suppliers of dragonfly envelopes, nets, etc.
American Biological Supply Co., 2405 N.W. 66th Court, Gainsville, Florida
32653-1633. Phone: 352-377-3299; Fax: 352-375-AMBI. Full line supplier
of fine entomological/biological eqwuipment for over 30 years.
BioQuip Products, 17803 La Salle Avenue, Gardena, California 90248-3602.
Phone: 310-324-0620; Fax: 310-324-7931. Entomological & botanical
equipment, books, software.www.bioquip.com
International Odonata Research Institute (IORI) - Odonata envelopes,
books. I.O.R.I., c/o Division of Plant Industry, P.O. Box 147100, Gainsville,
Florida 32614-7100 Phone: 352-375-5903. Email: iori@afn.org
Website: www.afn.org/~iori
Collector's Code of Ethics
A great deal of valuable information can be obtained from reliable sight
records. Collecting a lot of specimens is thus generally unnecessary.
To the extent that it is necessary, it should be justified. Never collect
a rare or restricted species unless it is relatively common at a site.
Never collect on private land without landowner permission and remember
that it is only possible to collect in parks with a special permit that
may be given to researchers following consideration of a research proposal.
Parks often do not issue permits for more casual inventory type work,
and issuance of any permit requires a detailed proposal and a detailed
report. This does not mean that parks should be avoided. It means that
they have to be treated as special places. Lands belonging to or managed
by native peoples are also special places, and collecting in such areas,
even on the roadside is often strictly prohibited. For more information
on collecting policy and guidelines see the IORI web site (www.afn.org/~iori)
and the guidelines produced by the Dragonfly Society of the Americas.
Ontario Dragonfly Survey
The "Ontario Dragonfly Survey" refers to the acquisition and
safeguarding of specimens documenting important discoveries or serving
as vouchers for specialized surveys. The idea is that important voucher
specimens should be placed in institutional collections which have a prominent
collection maintenance, scientific research, and education mandate. We
recommend the CNC (Canadian National Collection) at the present time since
Odonata specialists are available there to provide identification support.
Material sent to CNC (the specimen properly labeled inside the envelope)
should be placed in a box with some padding (e.g.. Kleenex) and the box
should be placed within a padded envelope. Although CNC cannot reimburse
contributors to the National Collection, it does assure that the costs
to contributors are made worthwhile to the extent that specimens will
be well cared for and available for a great variety of future uses that
extends far beyond their value as location vouchers. Material should be
sent to a regional compiler (who will pass it on), or directly to:
Dr. J. Huber, Biological Resources Program, Eastern Cereal and Oilseed
Research Centre, Agriculture Canada, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada K1A 0C6.
Having a central collection is advantageous, but dragonfly specimens
can also be used for research and teaching in other collections, such
as those at the ROM, University of Guelph and Natural Heritage Information
Centre. Making sure that important specimens are in properly curated collections
with a collection mandate is better and safer than keeping them in a personal
collection.
The collection of specimens and their deposition in an institutional collection has a broader purpose than the summary in contributing generally to a better understanding of the biology and systematics of the Odonata. In the states of Ohio and Michigan a network of collectors working toward this goal is referred to as a state "Odonata Survey". Such a survey has been initiated in Ontario at this time to support the annual summary and to help increase the value of the work of part-time entomologists by ensuring that the best possible use is made of collected material, and by providing support and service to the extent possible.