Review author: “ZooVita”
The dragonfly is an arthropod insect. As scientists have found out, they appeared on Earth about 350 million years ago. Since then, many different species have emerged, and scientists now know of approximately 6,600 species of dragonflies. Of these, 608 are fossils, so unfortunately they can no longer be found. They are superb predators and some of the most beautiful insects to exist on the planet.
Dragonfly insect lifestyle
Basically, dragonflies live and get food alone. But sometimes they gather in groups of several individuals.
Almost all varieties of these insects are active during the day, because that is when they hunt. Also during the day they fly long distances moving across various territories. Towards noon, in hot weather, dragonflies accumulate near rivers and reservoirs.
Arrows
Arrows are not as spectacular as beauties, but just as graceful dragonflies. The photo of the graceful arrow, posted below, confirms this fact.
Shooters lead the same lifestyle as beauties, except that they choose more modest prey. And it is not surprising, because the body length of the graceful arrow is only 3.5 cm, while the wingspan is 4.5 cm. The male has an elongated blue chest with a longitudinal black stripe and a black abdomen, as if intercepted by thin blue rings. The wings are narrow and transparent. Some females have a similar coloration, others are rather inexpressively colored and have neither stripes nor rings. Arrows fly slowly and rarely leave their homes. Their larvae live and hunt in the stems and roots of aquatic plants. Distinguishing one species from another within this family is not an easy task. But it is impossible to confuse them with another family of arrows.
Structure of a dragonfly
The dragonfly is very recognizable. Its special feature, by which almost any person recognizes it, is its very narrow, elongated abdomen and graceful wings.
The abdominal part is divided into 11 segments. Each of which in turn is divided into two half-segments. The ternite is the upper half-ring, and the sternite is the lower half-segment. Often the abdomen has a bright, variegated coloring.
Males have special forceps on their abdomen that help them hold the female during the fertilization process.
One of the features of the dragonfly is its eye apparatus. It may seem that there are only 2 of them, but this is not so. Each eye apparatus is approximately 30,000 facets. Each facet is completely independent and works separately. The upper part of the eye sees the outlines of surrounding objects, the lower part distinguishes colors.
But that's not all. Dragonflies also have 3 more eyes. They are located on the parietal part of the head and thanks to them the predator can see behind and to the side. Because of this eye structure, dragonflies can see prey at a distance of 8 meters. But at the same time, dragonflies are absolutely deaf and blind.
Also, when describing dragonflies, we must not forget about the wings.
Previously, the wingspan of a dragonfly was about 90 cm. Now, of course, they are no longer so huge. Nowadays, the maximum size of these insects very rarely exceeds 10 cm in wingspan. But such a small size does not prevent them from hunting and getting food for themselves; on the contrary, the dragonfly is rightfully considered one of the best predators among insects.
Interesting Facts
Dragonflies are unique representatives of the Earth. They are endowed with many distinctive features that can greatly surprise you. For example:
- Dragonfly eyes are able to perceive ultraviolet light;
- The ancestors of dragonflies were the first aerial insects on Earth, which appeared before dinosaurs;
- The Japanese consider the dragonfly to be the ideals of valor and bravery;
- Dragonflies can fly across entire oceans;
- These insects calculate the trajectory of an attack with 95% accuracy.
- Dragonflies have many more interesting qualities that are still being studied by scientists.
