"Look through the microscope and you can see the mouth moving," said Axhel Munoz, volunteer instructor for the Sonoran Desert Kids Club.
He was explaining how to view dragonfly specimens up close during a dragonfly and damselfly workshop Saturday. Class participants ambled through Roy P. Drachman-Agua Caliente Regional Park, observing the insects and using knowledge gained from Munoz and from books to help identify the type of species.
Members of the Sonoran Desert Kids Club, who are ages 8 to 12, began the workshop with a discussion about the types of dragonflies and damselflies that are commonly found in Arizona and, more specifically, around the park.
After the discussion, members obtained baby dragonfly and damselfly specimens and viewed them under a microscope to get a much better look.
After checking out the specimens through the microscope, the class moved outside with binoculars in search of fully developed dragonflies and damselflies.
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"You can tell by the color and the antennae," said Munoz, describing how to identify different types of dragonflies hovering around the park's pond.
Subjects touched upon during the class included classifying the different body shapes, colors and antennae of the insects. Students also learned about how to determine whether the insect is male or female, not to mention where to find them, and even how to catch them.
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More online
Go to www.pima.gov/cmo/ sdcp/kids.html to find out more about the Sonoran Desert Kids Club.
