Customer Reviews

Common Dragonflies of the Southwest

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This delightful field guide, measuring only 4.5" x 5.25", small enough to be carried everywhere, includes 129 common dragonflies and damselflies of the six states of the southwest--California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Colorado, my home state. Of the 350 superb colored photographs, almost half show dragons AND damsels much larger than life, showing their bright colors and intricate patterns in amazing detail. All 129 males are pictured and most of the females. And this small book is packed with an incredible amount of information: descriptions of males and females, their habitats, flight periods and often their habits. Each family has its own page, making identification easier. There's a glossary and references and an invaluable list of websites for further information, including one prepared just for this book. An extended checklist of all 189 species tells you at a glance which species live in which states. Although the author titles it for beginners, this book is useful for almost everyone with an interest in dragonflies--and it's hard not to be fascinated by these beautiful creatures. Dragonflying is becoming increasingly popular as birders and butterfliers take up dragonflying as well, and this book is a winner for those dragonfliers of the southwest!

Kathy Biggs' "Common Dragonflies of the Southwest" has filled a need for an easily transported guide to Southwestern dragonflies and damselflies. This is a book to use in the field as it is really "pocket-sized." However it still has excellent photographs and enough detail to be useful.

The Southwest has a surprisingly large fauna of odonates and as the hobby of dragonfly watching is catching on it is an increasingly popular area for such activities. While this guide does not cover all odonates in the Southwest, it does give the owner resources to identify the rest through a complete list, references and internet links. This is a nice feature as some of the species not covered can be unusually common in special locations. The Seaside Dragonlet, for example, is quite abundant at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Roswell, New Mexico.

It is great to see my favorite insects (possibly only excepting tiger beetles) become popular as subjects of study. From an aesthetic standpoint dragonflies are much better studied alive and photographed than collected because (even using modern techniques) the often brilliant colors tend to fade in death. While actual specimens are often necessary for documentation and taxonomic study, appreciation for the living insect can have value in behavioral studies and really good photographs of living examples can back up documentation of distributions. Appreciation of scarce wetlands in the Southwest and elsewhere is another benefit.

A necessity for anyone interested in the dragonfly and damselfly fauna of the Southwest, this book will inspire you to get out into the field and really see these amazing creatures.

I've never quite understood how to use these guides in the field. I mean, there you are looking at a dragonfly, and you get out the book and the dragonfly has flown. You remember it was kinda red, but maybe more orange, and ... did it have spots on the wings or were those on the abdomen?

Still, I have Kathy's book on California's common dragonflies (and NOTE that both include common damselflies as well), and it's handier than "Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West" by Dennis Paulson which is kind of a bible for dragon catchers, but Dennis' book is 536 pages and weighs over a pound.

The photography in "Common Dragonflies of the Southwest" has improved tremendously over the past 6-8 years as has the print itself. However, since I've become more expert (not an expert, just more expert which is to say that it isn't all luck)in taking photos of dragonflies, I have a few that are better than those in the book.

Now, I wouldn't know they're better because my education started with this and the California books by Kathy Biggs. And the book does say on the front cover, "A Beginner's Pocket Book."

I've spoken with Kathy, and I've met one of the photographers, Chris Heaivilin. Both have been magnanimous in their help and in educating me. In fact, a little constructive criticism from both taught me how to use the guides, and I'll pass that on for the rest who are "into" these most interesting and beautiful jewels of the insect world: first, learn about the behavior of these insects, especially if you want to photograph as well as identify them. A Flame Skimmer will return to the same perch over and over again. On the other hand, Darners are probably called that because they darn near never land - except as the days cools and they rest for the night. Some will hover for two or three seconds, and those are the only ones I've been able to capture with a point-and-shoot camera (see nature photo Web site "Dragons and Damsels" gallery). Others hover for a split second and then take off to find a mate. They don't have much time once they emerge from water.

I've only managed three new species this summer, and one has been impossible to capture photographically as the rest (the Black Saddlebags). But it took this guide for me to identify what I had "on film" and then I was able to look up quickly where to find them. I staked out a favorite spot for three months, but to no avail. But then there's next year, and I'll be sure to have Kathy's book in my pocket. It'll give me something to read while I stalk my Black Saddlebags.

Oh, btw, you'll need her other book, "Common Dragonflies of California" if you live in the northern part of the state. Some dragons prefer one part of California to another, and this state is 904 miles from top to bottom. Conservative dragonflies ... well, never mind.

-EW-

I was slow at reviewing my purchase-the opposite of the sellers actions. I am very happy with the purchase and with the book, fast shipping, as described and the author signed the book. Thank you Kathy Biggs.
Daniel Espey

This neat little guidebook contains a lot of basic information about those critters one sees flying around the lakes and ponds of California. It is well illustrated with photographs and gives valuable dragonfly information, such as life spans and named body parts. I plant to have it with me next summer when I go to the lake and watch the dragonflies zooming around, sometimes attached to each other, standing in the air, flying backwards, and performing other aerial gymnastics. It will be nice to know what species I am watching.

This book gives an introduction to dragonfly and butterfly identification in the southwest. nice photos, leaves you wanting more.There is no rival.

With the exception of Butterflies, and Bees I've never really looked at flying insects before unless it was to swat them or shoo them away. This book changed that. This book has shown me again that the miracles of nature are right in front of us if we only stop, open our eyes and look. The photographs of our Ms. Biggs'subjects are very well done and I was surprised and delighted to discover the variety of colorful markings that dragonflies have. The information was concise and I thought well illustrated for a beginner observer such as myself. But the best part of this book came later, when a dragonfly landed on a branch in front of me and I stopped, looked, and marvelled-and to think I never saw them before!