Dragonflies at a Biogeographical Crossroads

Brenda D. Smith has worked with Odonata for over 20 years in the United States and Central America. She is a principal investigator for the Odonata of Oklahoma Project and for various projects investigating odonate species of conservation concern, including acting as chief editor of the Dragonfly Society of the Americas odonate species richness project. A former archaeologist, historian, Native American affairs consultant, and museum registrar and collections manager, she found her true love in biology. She currently is a biogeographer and conservation biologist with the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory dealing with mammals, herpetiles, birds, fish, and various invertebrates, with special focus on tiger beetles and, of course, dragonflies.Michael A. Patten has published extensively (nearly 250 scientific publications, including two previous books) on conservation biology, evolutionary ecology, and biogeography. Much of his research has focused on birds, but he has focused increasingly on dragonflies and damselflies over the fifteen years. He and Brenda Smith have conducted both intensive and extensive field surveys for odonates across Oklahoma, amassing over 55,000 records for 176 species.