State Dragonfly/Blue Dasher/Designate, the official text

SPONSOR: Sen. Hansen & Rep. Phillips
                                                                               Sens. Sokola, Wilson; Reps. Burns, Heffernan,
                                                                               K. Johnson, Lambert, Morrison, Michael Smith

                                                    DELAWARE STATE SENATE
                                                    153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

                                                     SENATE BILL NO. 148

    AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DESIGNATION OF A STATE
    DRAGONFLY.

1   WHEREAS, dragonflies play a vital role in maintaining the health and balance of the ecosystem as a top insect

2 predator, even though they do not bite or sting humans; and

3   WHEREAS, dragonflies are nonselective and eat anything that flies in their visual field including insects up to

4 their own size, capturing over 95% of the prey they pursue; and

5   WHEREAS, dragonflies are beneficial in balancing prey populations, like mosquitoes and agricultural pests, and

6 they rely on healthy aquatic ecosystems for a large portion of their life cycle; and

7   WHEREAS, dragonflies lay their eggs in water and their larvae live in water, and the only dragonflies in the world

8 that lay their eggs in salt water, Seaside Dragonlets, are abundant in Delaware saltmarshes; and

9   WHEREAS, major threats to dragonflies in Delaware include habitat destruction, introduced predatory fish,

10 agricultural runoff, and use of pesticides; and

11  WHEREAS, dragonflies are Odonates, members of the insect order Odonata, an order of predatory flying insects

12 which also includes damselflies; and

13  WHEREAS, approximately 136 Odonate species can be found in Delaware; and

14  WHEREAS, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources (DNREC) is in the process of finalizing the 2025

15 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan (DEWAP); and

16  WHEREAS, 76 species of dragonflies and damselflies have been included as candidates for the DEWAP list of

17 Species of Greatest Conservation Need; and

18  WHEREAS, the Delaware Dragonfly Project aimed to further the environmental education of Delaware students

19 in all grades throughout the State about the life and habitat of dragonflies in Delaware, specifically studying six species: the

20 Blue Dasher, Blue-Faced Meadowhawk, Calico Pennant, Common Green Darner, Dragonhunter, and Tiger Spiketail; and

21  WHEREAS, nearly 900 students throughout Delaware participated in these activities and voted to designate the

22 Blue Dasher as the official State dragonfly; and

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23      WHEREAS, the Blue Dasher is one of the most common and widespread dragonflies, not just in Delaware but

24 across North America, found at almost everybody of water and growing 0.98–1.69 inches long; and

25      WHEREAS, Blue Dashers are members of the Skimmer family and live near still, calm bodies of water, such as

26 ponds, marshes, slow-moving waterways, and ditches, in warm areas typically at low elevations, with adult Blue Dashers

27 roosting in trees at night; and

28      WHEREAS, Blue Dashers are often found a long way from water when feeding, hunting small flying insects from

29 perches, keeping still and darting to catch suitable prey when it comes within range; and

30      WHEREAS, as wetlands and other various habitats for dragonflies decrease due to habitat destruction, so do the

31 populations of dragonflies; and

32      WHEREAS, as temperature has a large effect on the evolution of the Blue Dasher’s wing coloration, with darker

33 wing coloration helping with thermoregulation, flight performance, and territory securement, and populations in hotter

34 regions tending to lack this darker coloration compared to those present in cooler regions, Blue Dashers are vulnerable to

35 warming climate; and

36      WHEREAS, dragonflies are indicators of a healthy ecosystem and at the forefront of conservation movements;

37 and

38      WHEREAS, the preservation of our waterways is critical to their survival.

39      NOW, THEREFORE:

40      BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

41      Section 1. Amend Chapter 33, Title 29 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and

42 insertions as shown by underline as follows:

43      § 334. State dragonfly.

44      The Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is the official dragonfly of the State.

                                                                 SYNOPSIS
        This Act designates the Blue Dasher as the official dragonfly for the State of Delaware.

                                                                                                    Author: Senator Hansen

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