Suzanne Hendrick, a retired Iowa State University professor and master naturalist, told a Missoula Bugs and Brews audience that her two years of surveys at Milltown State Park, McLeay Flat and several other wetlands show Milltown generally supports higher numbers and greater species diversity, but that drought this year has left some ponds largely dry.

"I think that dragonflies and damselflies are good indicators of what's going on," Hendrick said, explaining that the insects spend most of their lives in aquatic nymph form and therefore reflect water quality and wetland condition.

Hendrick described methods and sites, and gave species highlights. She said she visits her main sites roughly weekly from May through October, photographs insects with a Nikon COOLPIX B500 and submits observations to iNaturalist and the Montana Field Guide, where knowledgeable users verify records. Hendrick said she plans to add a backlog of verified observations to Odonata Central, a national taxonomic database, this winter.

Her summary of findings emphasized three local patterns: Milltown Ponds generally produced richer observations (more individuals and more species), McLeay Flat (the irrigation-ditch wetlands) shows a different species mix including several emerald spreadwings, and several small ponds and wetlands have shrunk or dried during the drought, which she said likely reduced local counts.

Hendrick listed commonly observed taxa at the sites: 12-spotted skimmers and 4-spotted skimmers, dot-tailed whitefaces, multiple bluet damselflies, spread-wing damselflies (including emerald spreadwings), several darner species (including California darners and paddle-tail darners), and meadowhawks (including white-faced and saffron-winged meadowhawks). She also noted periodic large movements of variegated meadowhawks in June and said they can appear in swarms along local trails.

On site-specific observations, Hendrick said Milltown — a post-remediation park on the Clark Fork downstream from Butte — often supports greater abundance and complexity. "Milltown does seem to be a little richer environment in terms of being able to observe," she said, adding that some ponds at Milltown have dried this year. By contrast, McLeay Flat's irrigation ditch and adjacent wetlands support different communities, and Hendrick said she may have missed the earliest active season at McLeay Flat in one year of surveying.

Hendrick discussed life history and behavior observed in the field: most species spend months to a year or more as aquatic larvae, adults typically live weeks to a few months, and some species migrate long distances. She described field logistics — starting surveys once air temperatures warm in late May, photographing at consistent times of day, and the challenge of avoiding double-counting individual insects during repeat visits.

She also described community-science and outreach elements: her photographs and notes appear on iNaturalist and the Montana Field Guide, she has led local dragonfly walks for the Wild Montana Missoula chapter, and she noted that Missoula Community Access Television (MCAT) recorded lectures last year under a media assistance grant to the Missoula Butterfly House.

Hendrick identified knowledge gaps and next steps: she said she has not yet measured water temperature systematically but suspects it cues emergence timing, and she plans to add historical observations to national databases and to investigate variegated meadowhawk migration more seriously if tracking methods become feasible. She also noted that species distributions differ seasonally and by microhabitat (pond depth, flowing irrigation water versus wetlands).

The lecture was part of the Bugs and Brews series, which organizers said began in 2015 and is entering its ninth season. Glenn Moranglo, introduced as one of the founders of the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium, opened and closed the session and thanked MCAT for recordings.

Hendrick closed by encouraging photographic records and continued field observations and said she intends to continue regular surveys as long as she is able. The series' next Bugs and Brews event was announced for Oct. 23, with a program on aquatic invertebrate education.

Ending: Hendrick said the surveys are ongoing and that local naturalists and verified photographic records on iNaturalist and the Montana Field Guide will improve understanding of how drought and habitat change affect Missoula's odonate communities.