Some Interesting Dragonfly Facts
Order Odonata, suborder Epicrocta and infraorder Anisoptera which in Greek means "uneven wings"
Physical features include six legs, four wings with the front set of wings longer than the rear set, and compound eyes. They are similar in appearance to the damselfly, but are a different species. One way to tell if you've spotted a dragonfly is to look at the orientation of the resting dragonflies wings which will typically be perpendicular to the body. They typically live near water because the first part of their lifecycle is aquatic and are significant predators of the 'pest' insect the mosquito. There are over 5000 species of dragonfly in the world. The ancient ancestor of the dragonfly pre-dates the dinosaur and they are the fastest flying insect with the Australian Southern Giant Darner clocked at nearly 60 mph!
Order Odonata, suborder Epicrocta and infraorder Anisoptera which in Greek means "uneven wings"
Physical features include six legs, four wings with the front set of wings longer than the rear set, and compound eyes. They are similar in appearance to the damselfly, but are a different species. One way to tell if you've spotted a dragonfly is to look at the orientation of the resting dragonflies wings which will typically be perpendicular to the body. They typically live near water because the first part of their lifecycle is aquatic and are significant predators of the 'pest' insect the mosquito. There are over 5000 species of dragonfly in the world. The ancient ancestor of the dragonfly pre-dates the dinosaur and they are the fastest flying insect with the Australian Southern Giant Darner clocked at nearly 60 mph!
Life Cycle of the Dragonfly
There are two especially interesting facts about the dragonfly lifecycle; the first is that they undergo incomplete metamorphosis, with several nymph stages but no pupae stage; the second is that the nymph stage of their life is actually spent in an underwater habitat.
After mating, the female dragonfly perches on a partially submerged plant to deposit her eggs directly into freshwater. The hatchling ,called a nymph is able to breath underwater through its gills. The nymphs feed on insect larvae and aquatic invertebrates and can remain immobile while extending only their lower lip (jawed labium) to capture unsuspecting prey. The final nymph stage is where the transformation occurs as the insect climbs out of the water and sheds its larval skin. This is a precarious stage for the young dragonfly as it is costly in both energy and time leaving it extremely vulnerable to predation.
The newly transformed adult now has the ability to breathe the air in its new habitat. It also has new predation advantages as it is has acquired a unique four wing flying system for skillful maneuvering and compound eyes to better locate moving prey.
There are two especially interesting facts about the dragonfly lifecycle; the first is that they undergo incomplete metamorphosis, with several nymph stages but no pupae stage; the second is that the nymph stage of their life is actually spent in an underwater habitat.
After mating, the female dragonfly perches on a partially submerged plant to deposit her eggs directly into freshwater. The hatchling ,called a nymph is able to breath underwater through its gills. The nymphs feed on insect larvae and aquatic invertebrates and can remain immobile while extending only their lower lip (jawed labium) to capture unsuspecting prey. The final nymph stage is where the transformation occurs as the insect climbs out of the water and sheds its larval skin. This is a precarious stage for the young dragonfly as it is costly in both energy and time leaving it extremely vulnerable to predation.
The newly transformed adult now has the ability to breathe the air in its new habitat. It also has new predation advantages as it is has acquired a unique four wing flying system for skillful maneuvering and compound eyes to better locate moving prey.