Dragonfly

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Dragonfly

A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world. Adult dragonflies are characterised by a pair of large, multifaceted, compound eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural coloration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the closely related damselflies, which make up the other odonatan infraorder (Zygoptera) and are similar in body plan, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Dragonflies make use of motion camouflage when attacking prey or rivals. Dragonflies are predatory insects, both in their aquatic nymphal stage (also known as "naiads") and as adults. In some species, the nymphal stage lasts up to five years, and the adult stage may be as long as 10 weeks, but most species have an adult lifespan in the order of five weeks or less, and some survive for only a few days. They are fast, agile fliers capable of highly accurate aerial ambush, sometimes migrating across oceans, and often live near water. They have a uniquely complex mode of reproduction involving indirect insemination, delayed fertilisation, and sperm competition. During mating, the male grasps the female at the back of the head, and the female curls her abdomen under her body to pick up sperm from the male's secondary genitalia at the front of his abdomen, forming the "heart" or "wheel" posture. Fossils of very large dragonfly-like insects, the Meganisoptera or griffenflies, are found from 325 million years ago in Upper Carboniferous rocks; these had wingspans up to about 750 mm (30 in), though they were only distant relatives. True dragonflies first appeared during the Early Jurassic. Dragonflies are represented in human culture on artefacts such as pottery, rock paintings, statues, and Art Nouveau jewellery. They are used in traditional medicine in Japan and China, and caught for food in Indonesia. They are symbols of courage, strength, and happiness in Japan, but seen as sinister in European folklore. Their bright colours and agile flight are admired in the poetry of Lord Tennyson and the prose of H. E. Bates.

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• Dragonfly - Wikipedia

  A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order "Order (biology)") Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world. Adult dragonflies are characterised by a pair of large, multifaceted, compound eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural coloration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each. [...] Dragonflies are powerful and agile fliers, capable of migrating across the sea, moving in any direction, and changing direction suddenly. In flight, the adult dragonfly can propel itself in six directions: upward, downward, forward, backward, to left and to right. They have four different styles of flight. [...] An adult dragonfly has three distinct segments, the head, thorax, and abdomen, as in all insects. It has a chitinous exoskeleton of hard plates held together with flexible membranes. The head is large with very short antennae "Antenna (biology)"). It is dominated by the two compound eyes, which cover most of its surface. The compound eyes are made up of ommatidia, the numbers being greater in the larger species. Aeshna interrupta has 22650 ommatidia of two varying sizes, 4500 being large. The facets facing downward tend to be smaller. Petalura gigantea has 23890 ommatidia of just one size. These facets provide complete vision in the frontal hemisphere of the dragonfly. The compound eyes meet at the top of the head (except in the Petaluridae and Gomphidae, as also in the genus

• Dragonfly | Description, Anatomy, Habitat, Life Cycle, & Facts | Britannica

  Britannica Editors Last updated •History Top Questions What is a dragonfly? A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the suborder Anisoptera within the order Odonata. Dragonflies are aerial predators, recognized for their agility and speed, often found near freshwater habitats. They have long bodies, two pairs of narrow, intricately veined wings, and large, bulging eyes that provide a field of vision approaching 360 degrees. [...] Dragonflies are insects of the order Odonata, found throughout the world, with about 3,000 species inhabiting mostly freshwater habitats. They are most numerous and varied in the tropics but can be found as far north as the boreal forests of Siberia and North America, and as far south as the Southern Hemisphere (except Antarctica). Dragonfly larvae, also known as nymphs or naiads, are aquatic and live in various shallow freshwater habitats like tree holes, ponds, marshes, and streams. They are often bottom-dwelling, with mottled or drab colors that camouflage them among sediments or water plants. Adult dragonflies are strong fliers and are usually found flying near water. 2 Britannica Sources 1. dragonfly: Life cycle and reproduction 2. Odonata: The adult stage [...] 4 Britannica Sources 1. macroinvertebrate: Environmental biomonitoring 2. dragonfly 3. Odonata: The larval stage 4. damselfly: Life cycle This answer is created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. dragonfly, (suborder Anisoptera), any of a group of roughly 3,000 species of aerial predatory insects most commonly found near freshwater habitats throughout most of the world. Damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) are sometimes also called dragonflies in that both are odonates (order Odonata). Extremely strong and agile fliers, dragonflies are among the fastest insects known and are voracious predators of flying insects such as mosquitoes and flies.

• DRAGONFLY Definition & Meaning

  The meaning of DRAGONFLY is any of a suborder (Anisoptera) of odonate insects that are larger and stouter than damselflies, rectal gills

• Dragonflies - Environment

  Continue reading →" property="og:description"> Continue reading →" name="twitter:description"> Skip to content 1. Home 2. Wildlife 3. Habitats and species 4. Dragonflies # Dragonflies Dragonflies are large colourful insects usually found near fresh water such as riverbanks, canals, ditches, ponds and lakes. Their smaller relatives, the damselflies, are also found in similar habitats. Fossil evidence shows that they have been flying around for over 300 million years! In Britain there are 27 species of dragonfly and 16 species of damselfly. A total of 31 species have been recorded in Devon including many rarities. Dartmoor and its fringes, as well as the County’s heathlands, are particularly important for these creatures.

• Dragonfly and Damselfly Guide - ON Nature Magazine

  ### Damsel or Dragon? Dragonflies and damselflies are two related groups (suborders) that make up the insect order Odonata. Although very similar in many ways, they are also very easy to distinguish. Dragonfly adults have a rather robust body, and perch with wings held out to the side. Their eyes are huge, often meeting at the top of the head. The bodies of damselfly adults are quite slender, and for most species the wings are folded together over their abdomen while at rest. While their eyes are very large, they are set somewhat to the side of the head rather than dominating the front. Dragonflies are swift and strong fliers, reminiscent of tiny airplanes, while damselflies have a rather fluttering flight. [...] Their aquatic nymph stage is also quite distinct. Damselflies have three leaf-like gills at the tip of their abdomen, while the more robust dragonfly nymphs lack these. Damselfly nymphs swim with a side-to-side “snake-like” motion, while dragonflies spurt water out through the anus to swim with a “jet-propulsion” type of movement. # Dragonflies # Family Aeshnidae (Darners) Dragonflies in this family are large-bodied insects with noticeable finger-like projections at the end of their long abdomens and possess large compound eyes which meet each other at the top of the head. They are strong fliers, difficult to catch and most perch in a vertical position. ## Canada Darner Scientific name: Aeshna canadensis Length: 64 -73 mm

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  Q11424