The head is large with very short antennae. [27], The abdomen is long and slender and consists of 10 segments. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) are sometimes also called dragonflies in that both are odonates (order Odonata). The compound eyes are made up of ommatidia, the numbers being greater in the larger species. Mating takes just a few seconds, after which the female can immediately lay her eggs. But there are also clear differences between dragonflies and damselflies, outlined in the table below. costa - Major vein running along the leading edge of the wings. Thanks to two huge compound eyes, the dragonfly has nearly 360 vision and can see a wider spectrum of colors than humans. Each compound eye contains 28,000 lenses or ommatidia and a dragonfly uses about 80% of its brain to process all of the visual information it receives., Dragonflies are able to move each of their four wings independently. [62], Dragonflies generate lift in at least four ways at different times, including classical lift like an aircraft wing; supercritical lift with the wing above the critical angle, generating high lift and using very short strokes to avoid stalling; and creating and shedding vortices. They are used in traditional medicine in Japan and China, and caught for food in Indonesia. [55] They breathe through gills in their rectum, and can rapidly propel themselves by suddenly expelling water through the anus. Dragonflies can reach speeds of up to 35 miles an hour and fly just as gracefully backward by lifting off vertically, helicopter style. [b][107], More recently, dragonfly watching has become popular in America as some birdwatchers seek new groups to observe. Dragonflies have a high power/weight ratio, and have been documented accelerating at 4 G linearly and 9 G in sharp turns while pursuing prey. Male dragonflies use these anal appendages during mating. Their compound eyes are so large they nearly touch, and each one has about 28,000 single eyes, or ommatidia. 1 ) Dragonflies were some of the first winged insects to evolve, some 300 million years ago. Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) present an unparalleled insect model to integrate evolutionary genomics with ecology for the study of insect evolution. Life Cycle Dragonflies have 6 legs and two pairs of wings. Characteristics: Prementum and palpal lobes are flattened; 6-7 antennal segments present with all segments of similar size and shape. What we can learn from Chernobyl's strays. In reality, dragonflies present no danger to humans. [78] Amur falcons, which migrate over the Indian Ocean at a period that coincides with the migration of the globe skimmer dragonfly, Pantala flavescens, may actually be feeding on them while on the wing. When they land, the female curls her abdomen under to meet his secondary genitalia, forming a mating wheel that can resemble the shape of a heart. Their staple diet is mostly bloodworms and other insect larvae, but they also feed on tadpoles and small fish. Is a dragonfly an insect or a bug? 31 Animals with Weird and Funny Sounding Names, Ophiophagy Examples of animals that eat snakes. Body Parts of a Praying Mantis | Sciencing "[112], The novelist H. E. Bates described the rapid, agile flight of dragonflies in his 1937 nonfiction book[113] Down the River:[114], I saw, once, an endless procession, just over an area of water-lilies, of small sapphire dragonflies, a continuous play of blue gauze over the snowy flowers above the sun-glassy water. This process takes several hours or days as the dragonfly expands to its full body capacity. These newly emerged dragonflies, known at this stage as teneral adults, are soft-bodied, pale, and highly vulnerable to predators. [37], The wings of dragonflies are generally clear, apart from the dark veins and pterostigmata. They are the perfect guides to ask questions like: Perching dragonflies, on the other hand, who rely on solar energy for warmth, skillfully position their bodies to maximize the surface area exposed to sunlight. [96], Images of dragonflies are common in Art Nouveau, especially in jewellery designs. Their eyes are compound -they consist of 24,000 ommatidia (or tiny eyes). [15] The globe skimmer Pantala flavescens is probably the most widespread dragonfly species in the world; it is cosmopolitan, occurring on all continents in the warmer regions. When a nymph is finally ready for adulthood, it crawls out of the water onto a rock or plant stem and molts one final time. The springtime darner (Basiaeschna janata), for example, is suddenly very common in the spring, but disappears a few weeks later and is not seen again until the following year. What is the lifespan of a dragonfly? Skimmers, clubtails, and petaltails scout out prime egg-laying locations around ponds. 2 hours of sleep? Whether you need help solving quadratic equations, inspiration for the upcoming science fair or the latest update on a major storm, Sciencing is here to help. What's the difference?: Dragonfly vs. damselfly | Forest Preserve Dragonflies are members of the order Odonata. Hadley, Debbie. (2023, April 5). Sort. The obelisk position orients the dragonfly's abdomen directly at the sun, thereby reducing the surface area exposed to solar heating. Dragonflies can move straight up or down, fly backward, stop and hover, and make hairpin turnsat full speed or in slow motion. [43][44], Many dragonflies, particularly males, are territorial. The facets facing downward tend to be smaller. [54] Flying in tandem has the advantage that less effort is needed by the female for flight and more can be expended on egg-laying, and when the female submerges to deposit eggs, the male may help to pull her out of the water. Dragonfly naiads spend their life underwater, feeding on other aquatic insects and possibly plant matter. The adult dragonfly crawls out of its nymph exoskeleton, the exuvia, arching backwards when all but the tip of its abdomen is free, to allow its exoskeleton to harden. ThoughtCo. Blues are typically created by microstructures in the cuticle that reflect blue light. [60], Dragonflies are powerful and agile fliers, capable of migrating across the sea, moving in any direction, and changing direction suddenly. Diana David began writing when she became aware of the plight of domestic rabbits in 2001. As with other migratory species, dragonflies relocate to follow or find needed resources or in response to environmental changes such as impending cold weather. The fast-growing invasive species blocks out sunlight that sustains the grasses. Japanese children catch large dragonflies as a game, using a hair with a small pebble tied to each end, which they throw into the air. The damming of rivers for hydroelectric schemes and the drainage of low-lying land has reduced suitable habitat, as has pollution and the introduction of alien species. Adults may require emergent or waterside plants to use as perches; others may . [2] They are fast, agile fliers capable of highly accurate aerial ambush, sometimes migrating across oceans, and often live near water. Below is the external anatomy of an adult Dragonfly. [85][86] Dragonflies are steadily declining in Africa, and represent a conservation priority. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Should a challenger fly into his chosen habitat, the defending male will do all he can to chase away the competition. By contrast, a "summer species" emerges over a period of weeks or months, later in the year. A female must mate with the territory holder before laying her eggs. For other uses, see. In Indonesia, adult dragonflies are caught on poles made sticky with birdlime, then fried in oil as a delicacy. How to identify Both sexes of the golden-ringed dragonfly are black, with yellow bands along the body and bright-green eyes. This ordinary woman hid Anne Frankand kept her story alive, This Persian marvel was lost for millennia. As the larva grows, it molts, its future wings first becoming apparent about halfway through the larvas development. Competition for females is fierce, leading male dragonflies to aggressively fend off other suitors. Dragonflies can fly forward at about 100 body-lengths per second, and backwards at about 3 body-lengths per second. And while they share some physical characteristics, there are four ways you can differentiate between the two, according to Mother Nature Network . Their hunting methods vary. Dragonfly Nymphs Live In the Water 3. Some families appear to use special mechanisms, as for example the Libellulidae which take off rapidly, their wings beginning pointed far forward and twisted almost vertically. Most species need moderate conditions, not too eutrophic, not too acidic;[41] a few species such as Sympetrum danae (black darter) and Libellula quadrimaculata (four-spotted chaser) prefer acidic waters such as peat bogs,[42] while others such as Libellula fulva (scarce chaser) need slow-moving, eutrophic waters with reeds or similar waterside plants. Examples include the hawkers (Aeshnidae), petaltails (Petaluridae), and clubtails (Gomphidae). Odonata, insect order comprising the dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera) and the damselflies (suborder Zygoptera). Other kinds of dragonflies don't defend specific territories but still behave aggressively toward other males that cross their flight paths or dare to approach their perches. In the chasers (Libellulidae), however, many genera have areas of colour on the wings: for example, groundlings (Brachythemis) have brown bands on all four wings, while some scarlets (Crocothemis) and dropwings (Trithemis) have bright orange patches at the wing bases. A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata.