It was just another class assignment.

Kip Heth, assistant professor of aquatic ecology, sent students from his general zoology class to the biology pond to take a census the dragonfly and damselfly population.

The students went down to the pond where they counted and collected samples of all the different species of dragonflies or damselflies they could.

Then, Heth made a discovery. One of the samples they collected was something never before seen in Missouri. They found a species of damselfly rare to this part of the country.

“When we were counting them, we captured a few, and I finally identified them.” Heth said. “I’d seen them once before in my life in Oklahoma.”

Heth said he always sends samples to the Missouri Department of Conservation. They confirmed the class’ finding.

“They said, ‘hey, this has never been seen in Missouri before,'” Heth said. “They were excited about it.”

What they found was the Argia Nahuana, more commonly known as the Aztec Dancer. This particular species of damselfly is mainly found in the southwestern region of the United States and in Mexico.

Heth said the Missouri Department of Conservation is just starting to take a census the dragonfly and damselfly population in Missouri.

The Aztec Dancer is the most abundant of the dragonfly and damselfly population in the biology pond. About eight different species can be found around the pond.

Damselflies are closely related to dragonflies. They look like small versions of dragonflies, generally blue in color and found around bodies of water. The Aztec Dancer is blue and black in color.

Heth said he appreciates the opportunity to have a pond to gather samples.

“This is a resource our biology department uses heavily,” he said.

Southern’s pond is a natural spring pool.

“One of the nice things about spring pools is there aren’t many around that haven’t been heavily damaged or drastically altered,” Heth said. “There are a lot of other interesting organisms in it.”

Heth said they’ll publish a small note in a dragonfly journal about their discovery.

According to the United States Geological Survey Web site, the Aztec Dancer has only been found in western states.

Missouri is the northeastern most state in which the Argia Nahuana has been found.