On Thursday, September 21 from 6 to 7 p.m., Tuten Park will host a talk titled “Dragonflies: The Ultimate Predators.”  In this lecture, naturalist Irvin Louque will describe the complex aquatic and aerial lives of dragonflies. Attendees can expect to learn about the amazing adaptations of dragonflies, including migration, hunting behavior, and how to observe them. Bring binoculars and/or a camera, as the group will look for dragonflies in Tuten Park after the talk if time allows. For reservations, please register online at bit.ly/TutenEd or contact Irvin Louque at 491-8770 or irvin.louque@cityoflc.us. 

“Dragonflies have had the same body plan for over 300 million years and were one of the first insects to fly,” said Louque. “They have had plenty of time to develop and perfect many amazing adaptations. All dragonflies start their lives as nymphs in aquatic environments hunting mosquito lavae, small aquatic insects, and even small fish. After months, they leave the water as flying adults and continue to prey on mosquitoes and other insects. In this stage they migrate and find a mate.”

Tuten Park is home to many species of dragonflies which are attracted and breed in the pond and rain garden features. They help keep our mosquito population low and are considered one of the most effective biological control agents of mosquitoes. Come out to this talk to learn more about the interesting and useful creatures.

Find out more information about the park at the Tuten Park website: www.cityoflakecharles.com/tutenpark. Like and follow the Friends of Tuten Park on Facebook to keep up to date with this and future events: facebook.com/friendsoftutenpark.

About Friends of Tuten Park.

Friends of Tuten Park consists of private citizens committed to the mission and support of Tuten Park.  The Friends of Tuten Park strive to restore and preserve habitat for wildlife, provide interpretive and educational programs to the community, and create support in the extended community for conservation opportunities. Any interested person, organization, or school who supports the mission of the Friends of Tuten Park is encouraged to join.