>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 12:42:11 -0500 (EST)
>From: BirdAHikes at aol.com
>Reply-To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
>To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
>Subject: State Insect
>
>Hi, tweeters!
>
>Since I heard the news about the dragonfly being assigned as our state insect
>on tweeters from, I think, Dennis Paulson, I'm asking for your help. Rita
>Pilgrim, at the Yakima Area Arboretum has asked me which dragonfly got this
>distinction and I don't remember. Could someone please reply to me as soon
>as possible as I plan to go to a Gardening Symposium at the Arboretum
>tomorrow (Saturday) and would like to show Rita which dragonfly it is in
>McCafferty's Aquatic Entomology. Thanks!
>
>Maia Kelly

It's the Common Green Darner, Anax junius, family Aeshnidae. Handsome
insect, quite large (exceeded in size only by the female of another
species) with grass-green thorax in both sexes (only NW dragonfly with that
character) and mostly blue abdomen in male. Flies beats along the shore of
lakes and ponds through much of the summer. It's the only large dragonfly
that oviposits in tandem (lays eggs with male still connected to female).

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416
http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/museum.html