Dragonfly - Natural History 1

Dragonflies belong to the insect order Odonata, from the Greek root odon, meaning "tooth."
In the adult stage, these insects have two pairs of long narrow wings, which are attached to its thorax. The hind wing is broader at the base than the forewing. The wings have veins and are often clear or transparent. Dragonfly nymphs live in fresh water ponds and streams.
The dragonflies that you might see have wingspans of about 5 to 6 inches. Dragonflies used to be a lot bigger. Scientists have found dragonfly fossils that are over 200 million years old with wingspans of over 2 feet. These are the largest insects known to have ever lived.
Dragonflies can move their wings independently. To keep their bodies at the proper temperature, dragonflies change the position of their body and wings. Sometimes a dragonfly will turn its body so that only the tip of its abdomen points toward the Sun, reducing the amount of body exposure to the Sun. Other times it will turn sideways so that its whole body faces the sun.
Dragonflies are predators during both the larval and adult stages. Mature dragonflies are quick fliers. They eat insects such as gnats and mosquitoes. While flying, they catch and eat their prey.
While dragonflies are predators, they themselves are food for other predators such as birds.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• dragonfly
• odonata
• insect
• invertebrate
• arthropoda
• predator