Dragonflies & Damselflies of the Rocky Mountains
By Robert DuBois – (2010)
301 pages; matt-gloss art paper, with 281 colour photographs, 7 monochrome photographs, 21colour or part colour drawings, 67 monochrome drawings, 10 monochrome plates & 1 main explanatory map.
Soft Cover: 21cm x 11.4cm
ISBN: 978-0-9792006-8-7
Kollath+Stensaas Publishing, Duluth USA.
This beautifully illustrated guide has a specific emphasis on the odonates of the Rocky Mountains region in western USA. It nicely and very informatively covers the 99 species of odonate found in the 11 western states as designated in this book.
The species are presented in families with a brief introduction to the family and the genera concerned. Estimates of species numbers globally are provided for the families and most of the genera with more specific species numbers locally. Each species has its common name, scientific name, flight season, nature notes, description, helpful identification clues, life cycle and behavior with a small distribution map of the 11 western states shaded orange where distribution is known, completed with generally excellent photographs of the adults and often an identifying illustration of wing venation or abdominal appendages. For each species dealt with, there are no indications of distribution outside the designated 11 states.
North America has some really interesting and beautiful odonate species and here within this book (approximately 23%) nearly a quarter of its species are depicted with some really stunning photos. Further, these are mostly accompanied by rather helpful illustrations. Many photos were provided by well-known entomologist Dennis Paulson and one of the authors odonate field companions Ken Tennessen. The fantastic photos alone, makes this book worth buying.
The excellent photographs and the simple yet scientifically sound manner of the text makes this a great book for anyone interested in the North American odonates and further it also helps to fill photo and lesser so literature gaps for anyone with interests in specific genera which occur on other continents such as Anax, Aeshna, Coenagrion, Gomphus, Ischnura, Libellula, Sympterum etc.
Rod Rice
Principal Reviewer
Nature & Travel Books