dragonfly characteristics

They function independently, giving the dragonfly speed and height during flight. [52], Egg-laying (ovipositing) involves not only the female darting over floating or waterside vegetation to deposit eggs on a suitable substrate, but also the male hovering above her or continuing to clasp her and flying in tandem. This proposes the establishment of protected areas around the world and the management of these areas to provide suitable habitat for dragonflies. Their bodies are long and slender and they have a short antennae. Updates? 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. [12], The thorax consists of three segments as in all insects. Dragonfly Characteristics A Dragonfly has two large compound eyes which take up most of its head. Our goal is to make science relevant and fun for everyone. [115], A dragonfly has been genetically modified with light-sensitive "steering neurons" in its nerve cord to create a cyborg-like "DragonflEye". "[110] The poet Matsuo Bash (16441694) wrote haiku such as "Crimson pepper pod / add two pairs of wings, and look / darting dragonfly", relating the autumn season to the dragonfly. [82], Most odonatologists live in temperate areas and the dragonflies of North America and Europe have been the subject of much research. [25], In high-speed territorial battles between male Australian emperors (Hemianax papuensis), the fighting dragonflies adjust their flight paths to appear stationary to their rivals, minimizing the chance of being detected as they approach. Dragonflies feed on pest insects in rice, acting as a natural pest control. Life Cycle Females are longer and thinner than the males, who display a 'waisted' appearance. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each. For other uses, see. Long before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, dragonflies took to the air. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. 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. The male then grasps the female by the head with the claspers at the end of his abdomen; the structure of the claspers varies between species, and may help to prevent interspecific mating. Their compound eyes are so large they nearly touch, and each one has about 28,000 single eyes, or ommatidia. "10 Fascinating Facts About Dragonflies." They are used in traditional medicine in Japan and China, and caught for food in Indonesia. The abdomen consists of 10 segments and is long and slender with anal appendages. This labium is folded under the body at rest and struck out at great speed by hydraulic pressure created by the abdominal muscles. The International Union for Conservation of Nature now considers this dragonfly vulnerable to extinction. 2 hours of sleep? A clutch may have as many as 1500 eggs, and they take about a week to hatch into aquatic nymphs or naiads which moult between six and 15 times (depending on species) as they grow. [50] If successful, a rival male uses his penis to compress or scrape out the sperm inserted previously; this activity takes up much of the time that a copulating pair remains in the heart posture. Heres how paradise fought back. 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. [80] Gregarines infect the gut and may cause blockage and secondary infection. [55] Eggs laid inside plant tissues are usually shaped like grains of rice, while other eggs are the size of a pinhead, ellipsoidal, or nearly spherical. Miniature sensors, a computer chip and a solar panel were fitted in a "backpack" over the insect's thorax in front of its wings. [94] On a hot day, dragonflies sometimes adjust their body temperature by skimming over a water surface and briefly touching it, often three times in quick succession. The long leg joints bear rows of spines, and in males, one row of spines on each front leg is modified to form an "eyebrush", for cleaning the surface of the compound eye. Dragonfly wing muscles must be warm to function optimally, and so, if cool, the insect often engages in wing-whirring and basking in the sun to generate heat before taking flight. Unwanted mating is energetically costly for females because it affects the amount of time that they are able to spend foraging. Furthermore, dragonflies are among the more agile flyers. [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. dragonfly damselfly globe skimmer Exopterygota. 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. The nymph extends its hinged labium (a toothed mouthpart similar to a lower mandible, which is sometimes termed as a "mask" as it is normally folded and held before the face) that can extend forward and retract rapidly to capture prey such as mosquito larvae, tadpoles, and small fish. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. A species tightly linked to its birth site utilises a foraging area that is several orders of magnitude larger than the birth site. 1 ) Dragonflies were some of the first winged insects to evolve, some 300 million years ago. She holds an associate degree in computer programming from the Front Range Community College in Colorado. Most Anisoptera species are tropical, with far fewer species in temperate regions. 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. First, the male has to attract a female to his territory, continually driving off rival males. [91], Many Native American tribes consider dragonflies to be medicine animals that had special powers. Male Dot-tailed Whiteface rank as one of the most easily identified dragonflies. Dragonflies having simple flaps shed the eggs in water, mostly in flight. The slaty skimmer dragonfly Libellula incesta (pictured, an adult female) is native to eastern North America. This style creates more thrust, but less lift than counter-stroking, Synchronised-stroking, with forewings and hindwings beating together, is used when changing direction rapidly, as it maximises thrust. The hindwings are broader than the forewings and the venation is different at the base. [27] The thorax bears two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs. Unlike damselflies, the front and rear wing pairs are shaped differently. "10 Fascinating Facts About Dragonflies." [19], Dragonflies become scarce at higher latitudes. What Do Adult and Immature Dragonflies Eat? Accurately drawn dragonflies by Moses Harris, 1780: At top left, the brown hawker, Aeshna grandis (described by Linnaeus, 1758); the nymph at lower left is shown with the "mask" extended. The first stage is known as the Apterygote stage. The large eyes appear out of proportion to the rest of the head and body. 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. When the naiad is ready to metamorphose into an adult, it stops feeding and makes its way to the surface, generally at night. [59], The sex ratio of male to female dragonflies varies both temporally and spatially. The territory contains desirable features such as a sunlit stretch of shallow water, a special plant species, or the preferred substrate for egg-laying. Nymphs of Cordulegaster bidentata sometimes hunt small arthropods on the ground at night, while some species in the Anax genus have even been observed leaping out of the water to attack and kill full-grown tree frogs. ThoughtCo. 2020 was the seventh year that Mount Rainier National Park (MORA) participated in the DMP! Because dragonflies have a unique two-wing design, they are incredibly aerodynamic. They do not bite and they do not sting. These are just two of the characteristics that qualify it as an insect. [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. [81] Trematodes are parasites of vertebrates such as frogs, with complex life cycles often involving a period as a stage called a cercaria in a secondary host, a snail. This ordinary woman hid Anne Frankand kept her story alive, This Persian marvel was lost for millennia. Fossils of very large dragonfly-like insects, sometimes called griffinflies, are found from 325million years ago (Mya) in Upper Carboniferous rocks; these had wingspans up to about 750mm (30in), though they were only distant relatives, not true dragonflies. The winged adults are diversely coloured in a variety of shades ranging from metallic to pastel. Dragonflies begin their lives in the water. In any one area, individuals of a particular "spring species" emerge within a few days of each other. But this system has been modified in several families. Third largest order of insects, with approximately 11 families and 407 species in North America and 29 families and >5000 species worldwide. [116][117], This article is about the insect. Adults may require emergent or waterside plants to use as perches; others may need specific submerged or floating plants on which to lay eggs. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world. These dragonflies have long bodies and are typically large in size. [32] The general body plan is similar to that of an adult, but the nymph lacks wings and reproductive organs. Overview of the Biggest Bugs That Ever Lived, How to Identify the Common Green Darner Dragonfly, Daddy Longlegs: Arachnids, but Not Spiders, How to Distinguish Between a Dragonfly and a Damselfly, Dragonflies -The Hawks of the Insect World Are Important Environmental Indicators, B.A., Political Science, Rutgers University. Around midsummer, females hover over bodies of fresh water and dip in their abdomens, laying eggs that hatch in about seven to eight days. [16], Some dragonflies, including libellulids and aeshnids, live in desert pools, for example in the Mojave Desert, where they are active in shade temperatures between 18 and 45C (64 and 113F); these insects were able to survive body temperatures above the thermal death point of insects of the same species in cooler places. The Protanisoptera, another ancestral group that lacks certain wing-vein characters found in modern Odonata, lived from the Early to Late Permian age until the end Permian event, and are known from fossil wings from current-day United States, Russia, and Australia, suggesting they might have been cosmopolitan in distribution. [43][44], Many dragonflies, particularly males, are territorial. dragonfly, (suborder Anisoptera), also called darner, devil's arrow, or devil's darning needle, any of a group of roughly 3,000 species of aerial predatory insects most commonly found near freshwater habitats throughout most of the world. The male-bias ratio has contributed partially to the females using different habitats to avoid male harassment. The infraorder Anisoptera comes from Greek anisos "unequal"[3] and pteron "wing"[4] because dragonflies' hindwings are broader than their forewings.[5]. [65] Dragonflies can travel at 100 body-lengths per second in forward flight, and three lengths per second backwards. 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. Griffenflies (Meganisoptera), the gigantic precursors to modern dragonflies had wingspans of over two feet and dotted the skies during the Carboniferous period over 300 million years ago., There's a good reason why you see dragonflies and damselflies around ponds and lakes: They're aquatic! Male Dragonflies Fight for Territory 8. [87], The dragonfly's long lifespan and low population density makes it vulnerable to disturbance, such as from collisions with vehicles on roads built near wetlands. Dragonfly wings behave highly dynamically during flight, flexing and twisting during each beat. Nymphs feed on a range of freshwater invertebrates and larger ones can prey on tadpoles and small fish. Dragonflies Are Masters of Flight 7. Does eating close to bedtime make you gain weight? [18] Their altitudinal limit is about 3700 m, represented by a species of Aeshna in the Pamirs. It remains stationary with its head out of the water, while its respiration system adapts to breathing air, then climbs up a reed or other emergent plant, and moults (ecdysis). [33][34][35], Many adult dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. What we can learn from Chernobyl's strays. The male and female contort themselves into the wheel position before sperm is transferred. Because of their connection to water, dragonflies are tied to our emotional selves. Some of these characteristics include segmented bodies, jointed appendages, compound and/or median eyes, and an external skeleton. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonflies are known. They hunt in flight, are highly manoeuvrable and even mate mid-air. [58], Dragonflies in temperate areas can be categorized into two groups, an early group and a later one. Male Dragonflies Have Multiple Sex Organs 9. All of the Odonata, the dragonflies and damselflies, recorded in Oregon. Because these insects require stable oxygen levels and clean water, scientists consider them reliable bioindicators of the health of an ecosystem. Firstly, the body structure of dragonfly was analyzed, and then the design scheme of flapping wing micro air vehicle was proposed based on the flight motion characteristics and musculoskeletal . Watch an animation of an aquatic dragonfly larva extending its labial mask to catch prey. This unique characteristic occurs because the butterfly has no colored scales, which account for the color variations on most butterfly species. Hadley, Debbie. Dragonflies are represented in human culture on artefacts such as pottery, rock paintings, statues, and Art Nouveau jewellery. [84] Over 60% of Japan's wetlands were lost in the 20th century, so its dragonflies now depend largely on rice fields, ponds, and creeks. These Ancient Insects Have Truly Surprising Qualities. In Europe, dragonflies have often been seen as sinister. Dragonflies Thermoregulate Their Bodies. In the water, various species of ducks and herons eat dragonfly nymphs[76] and they are also preyed on by newts, frogs, fish, and water spiders. [83], Habitat degradation has reduced dragonfly populations across the world, for example in Japan. Odonates are found near fresh water sources and are active on pleasant sunny days. The adults are easily recognized by their two pairs of narrow, transparent wings, sloping thorax, and long, usually slender body; the abdomen is almost always longer than any of the wings. The globe skimmer (or wandering glider, Pantala flavescens), a migratory dragonfly, for example, makes an annual multigenerational journey of some 18,000 km (about 11,200 miles); to complete the migration, individual globe skimmers fly more than 6,000 km (3,730 miles)one of the farthest known migrations of all insect species. Break free from illusions or limitations 6. Anisoptera (dragonflies) hind wings are broader near the base than the front wings. [33], Dragonflies and damselflies are predatory both in the aquatic nymphal and adult stages. They have a uniquely complex mode of reproduction involving indirect insemination, delayed fertilization, and sperm competition. Freshly emerged adults, known as tenerals, are often pale, and obtain their typical colours after a few days. Relative to other insects, dragonflies have extraordinarily keen vision that helps them detect the movement of other flying critters and avoid in-flight collisions. Water is pumped in and out of the abdomen through an opening at the tip. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Competition for females is fierce, leading male dragonflies to aggressively fend off other suitors. For example, the blue-eyed darner Rhionaeschna multicolor lives all across North America, and in Central America;[13] emperors Anax live throughout the Americas from as far north as Newfoundland to as far south as Bahia Blanca in Argentina,[14] across Europe to central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. [41] Vegetation and its characteristics including submerged, floating, emergent, or waterside are also important. The damselfly nymph actually breathes through gillsinside its rectum. Dragonflies Have Excellent Vision 6. Dragonflies also have huge bulging eyes that occupy most of the head, giving some a field of vision approaching 360 degrees. In nearly all insects, the male sex organs are located at the tip of the abdomen. Dragonfly as a Spirit Guide. Seize the moment and don't hesitate 4. [97] They have also been used as a decorative motif on fabrics and home furnishings. Corrections? Their overall coloration is often a combination of yellow, red, brown, and black pigments, with structural colours. Blues are typically created by microstructures in the cuticle that reflect blue light. The black body with yellow spot at the bottom of the abdomen are clear field guides, even if the white face is not apparent. The dragonfly appears in the second stage and therefore this paper will only cover the first two stages. Updated November 22, 2019. Some species even use their wings as reflectors, tilting them to direct the solar radiation toward their bodies. [100] This is attributed to a legend in which Japan's mythical founder, Emperor Jimmu, was bitten by a mosquito, which was then eaten by a dragonfly.[101][102]. [68], The flight muscles need to be kept at a suitable temperature for the dragonfly to be able to fly. 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. Dragonfly species (Anisoptera) are characterized by long bodies with two narrow pairs of intricately veined, membranous wings that, while generally transparent, may have coloured markings. [11] On the cladogram, dashed lines indicate unresolved relationships; English names are given (in parentheses): About 3,012 species of dragonflies were known in 2010; these are classified into 348 genera in 11 families. [39] One species, Gomphus militaris, even live as a parasite, feeding on the gills of gravid mussels. Further information on the extinct genus of dragonfly: This is not to say that other species may not use the same technique, only that this species has been studied. Wings Dragonflies have two sets of wings with a notch in the front edge of each wing. [39], Dragonflies as a group occupy a considerable variety of habitats, but many species, and some families, have their own specific environmental requirements. The Plathemis lydia (common whitetail) dashes towards an intruder holding its white abdomen aloft like a flag. [65] A large prey item is subdued by being bitten on the head and is carried by the legs to a perch. Swarms of feeding adults aggregate to prey on swarming prey such as emerging flying ants or termites. Dragonfly eyes consist of approximately 28,000 individual telescoping lenses called ommatidia. The male holds the female behind the head using a pair of claspers on the terminal segment. How do we reverse the trend? Their Wings Tear Bacteria Apart If you put a dragonfly wing under a microscope, you'd see billions of tiny nanostructures. The wings of male dragoinflies are relatively longer and narrower than females in large species. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Their arms slant upward, forming a type of basket and enabling them to scoop up prey in flight. At the end of the mask is a set of fanglike pincers used to seize prey such as worms, crustaceans, tadpoles, and small fish. Of course, that's not even remotely true. [75], Although dragonflies are swift and agile fliers, some predators are fast enough to catch them. However, the majority of species live in tropical areas and have been little studied. [28] Some have their bodies covered with a pale blue, waxy powderiness called pruinosity; it wears off when scraped during mating, leaving darker areas. Dragonfly enters our life when our joy diminishes or when we start taking things too seriously. Typically, a darner dragonfly has a thick thorax and a long abdomen, and the abdomen is slightly narrower just behind the thorax. It is believed to be a symbol of power, success, change, happiness, wisdom, peace, and harmony along with good luck and new beginnings. First the male goes through whats called self-insemination, curling his body to transfer sperm from his primary genitalia, at the tip of his abdomen, to the secondary genitalia, just below the thorax. The body of the dragonfly consists of the head, thorax and abdomen. Their bright colours and agile flight are admired in the poetry of Lord Tennyson and the prose of H. E. Bates. They are also symbols in the Chinese practices of Feng Shui, where placements of dragonfly statues and artwork in parts of a home or office are believed to bring new insights and positive changes. For example, the yellow presba, a dragonfly native only to South Africa, is losing its grassland habitat to the Australian black wattle, a commercially introduced tree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [36], Some dragonflies, such as the green darner, Anax junius, have a noniridescent blue that is produced structurally by scatter from arrays of tiny spheres in the endoplasmic reticulum of epidermal cells underneath the cuticle. antennae - A pair of sensory organs on top of the head. Dragonfly naiads spend their life underwater, feeding on other aquatic insects and possibly plant matter. Dragonflies, like damselflies, exhibit a mating posture unique to the Odonata. Compared with other insects, they are large, with some having wingspans of up to 16 cm (about 6 inches). Larvae absorb oxygen from the water using gills inside the rectum. The little-known history of the Florida panther. [62], The wings are powered directly, unlike most families of insects, with the flight muscles attached to the wing bases. As well as being extremely agile fliers, they are also among the fastest insects. Key features of Odonata include their ancient phylogenetic position, extensive phenotypic and ecological diversity, several unique evolutionary innovations, ease of study in the wild and usefulness as bioindicators for freshwater . [b][107], More recently, dragonfly watching has become popular in America as some birdwatchers seek new groups to observe. How to identify Both sexes of the golden-ringed dragonfly are black, with yellow bands along the body and bright-green eyes. Change is coming - or you should make a change 5. Naiads can forcefully expel a jet of water to propel themselves with great rapidity. Here's a picture of a mauring male. Woodcut on paper, after Kitagawa Utamaro, 1788, Tiffany & Co. Japonism vase with dragonfly handles, c. 1879, Walters Art Museum, Tiffany dragonfly pendant lamp, designed c. 1903, Japanese tsuba with a dragonfly, 1931: Shibuichi with gold and silver, Walters Art Museum, Lafcadio Hearn wrote in his 1901 book A Japanese Miscellany that Japanese poets had created dragonfly haiku "almost as numerous as are the dragonflies themselves in the early autumn. He was the first English artist to make illustrations of dragonflies accurate enough to be identified to species (Aeshna grandis at top left of plate illustrated), though his rough drawing of a nymph (at lower left) with the mask extended appears to be plagiarised. [28] The veins carry haemolymph, which is analogous to blood in vertebrates, and carries out many similar functions, but which also serves a hydraulic function to expand the body between nymphal stages (instars) and to expand and stiffen the wings after the adult emerges from the final nymphal stage. The watercolourist Moses Harris (17311785), known for his The Aurelian or natural history of English insects (1766), published in 1780, the first scientific descriptions of several Odonata including the banded demoiselle, Calopteryx splendens. Because the sets of wings operate independently, dragonflies can hover in one place for up to a minute. The functionally wingless larvae are usually mottled or dull in colour, matching the sediments or water plants among which they live. Dragonfly sperm, however, is stored in an opening of the ninth abdominal segment. These include falcons such as the American kestrel, the merlin,[76] and the hobby;[77] nighthawks, swifts, flycatchers and swallows also take some adults; some species of wasps, too, prey on dragonflies, using them to provision their nests, laying an egg on each captured insect. These internal gills consist originally of six longidudinal folds, each side supported by cross-folds. They referred to dragonflies as "snake doctors" because they believed dragonflies followed snakes into the ground and healed them if they were injured. 31 Animals with Weird and Funny Sounding Names, Ophiophagy Examples of animals that eat snakes. We thought we knew turtles. Dragonflies -The Hawks of the Insect World Are Important Environmental Indicators.Biophilia Foundation. The many lenses of the eye provide the dragonfly with almost 360-degree vision. [12] The first instar is known as a prolarva, a relatively inactive stage from which it quickly moults into the more active nymphal form. Likewise, the dragonfly nymph pulls water into its anus to facilitate gas exchange. [96], Images of dragonflies are common in Art Nouveau, especially in jewellery designs. Dragonflies do not harm people. Hadley, Debbie. cercus - The outer pair of anal appendages on anisopteran larvae. The meanings of the dragonfly differ from culture to culture. [60], Dragonflies are powerful and agile fliers, capable of migrating across the sea, moving in any direction, and changing direction suddenly. There are remarkable variations in the presence and the form of the penis and the related structures, the flagellum, cornua, and genital lobes. Darners have huge eyes that meet broadly on the dorsal surface of the head, and this is one of the key characteristics to differentiate members of the family Aeshnidae from other dragonfly groups. Dragonflies Are Ancient Insects 2. 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. This arrester system is unique to the Odonata, and is activated when feeding and during tandem flight. Adults live only about a month, hunting flies, mosquitos, and midges. [62], Old and unreliable claims are made that dragonflies such as the southern giant darner can fly up to 97km/h (60mph). Male dragonflies use these anal appendages during mating. Adults also look for opportunities to mate. By contrast, a "summer species" emerges over a period of weeks or months, later in the year. To save chestnut trees, we may have to play God, Why you should add native plants to your garden, What you can do right now to advocate for the planet, Why poison ivy is an unlikely climate change winner. The territory may be small or large, depending on its quality, the time of day, and the number of competitors, and may be held for a few minutes or several hours. [69], Becoming too hot is another hazard, and a sunny or shady position for perching can be selected according to the ambient temperature. Dragonflies are members of the order Odonata. It is dominated by the two compound eyes, which cover most of its surface. Dragonflies including Tramea lacerata (black saddlebags) may notice landmarks that assist in defining the boundaries of the territory. The eyes take up most of the head; the thorax is approximately two to three times the size of the head, and the wings and legs are attached to the thorax. The neurons contain genes like those in the eye to make them sensitive to light. Debbie Hadley is a science educator with 25 years of experience who has written on science topics for over a decade. The front wing pairs are smaller than the back pairs. Eventually, the larva crawls out of the water (often at night) and molts one last time, emerging as an adult and leaving behind a cast skin (exuvia). Dragonflies have a more powerful build and are generally much stronger fliers than damselflies. Dragonflies and damselflies are predaceous both as immatures and adults. [41] The chemistry of the water, including its trophic status (degree of enrichment with nutrients) and pH can also affect its use by dragonflies. [12] Most of a dragonfly's life is spent as a nymph, beneath the water's surface.

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