Book Review - Dragonflies and Damselflies, A Natural History - Princeton University Press

     I was very pleased indeed to receive a copy of this book for review. There is always a sense of anticipation with another potentially fine work from Princeton University Press, and when in addition one sees the name of Dennis Paulson as the author, the expectations are magnified.

     The book does not disappoint. It encompasses everything that I already have on my shelf, and more, and presents the information in a highly readable yet technically impeccable way. Books of this nature are generally not the stuff of bedtime reading, yet this is exactly what it became for me. I started into it and was so taken with the ease with which the information can be digested, I continued to read it in bed!
     Let me present the chapters to you:

Chapter 1 - What is a Dragonfly?

Chapter 2 - Capturing Prey and Avoiding Predators

Chapter 3 - Reproduction

Chapter 4 - The Life Cycle

Chapter 5 - Dragonflies and People

Chapter 6 - Odonate Diversity Around the World

     Each chapter is broken down into subsets of information, beautifully descriptive and informative. Permit me to give a few examples from Chapter 2:

Superlative Flight

High-quality Vision

Foraging Behaviour

Diet and Adaptation for Predation

Predators and Anti-predator Adaptations

     And so it continues. 

     Of course, wonderful photographs accompany the text.

     It speaks to the careful selection of images that a bee-eater was chosen to represent predation by birds.
     Another artifice that I found especially attractive and useful was the inclusion of species profiles at the end of each chapter to flesh out the information gleaned in the preceding sections. Furthermore, additional particulars were given, adding to the already copious knowledge presented earlier 

     

     Throughout the range of images every facet of dragonfly life is illustrated and the pictures are of high quality and vividly illustrate different aspects of the odonate life cycle.

     Towards the end of the book a section is devoted to "The Families of Odonates" where a complete synopsis is given of all the families throughout the world with the number of species, the number of genera, and the geographical distribution of each of them.

     This is followed by a comprehensive glossary defining all the technical terms that are unique to odonates - a very helpful tool.
     The book concludes with a guide to further resources, including internet websites frequently consulted.
     As a single source reference on dragonflies and damselflies it is as good as I have seen, presenting a first rate account of the natural history of these organisms, and in addition many details normally found in a field guide. For novice and veteran odonatologist alike this is a work to be consulted for many years to come.

Dragonflies and Damselflies: A Natural History
Dennis Paulson
Hardcover - $29.95 - 9780691180366 - 224 pages - 8 1/4" x 9 1/4" - 150 colour illustrations.
Publication date:  26 March 2019