Dragonflies
Dragonflies
belong to the “insect” family of creatures and as such, possess segmented bodies
divided into a head, thorax and abdomen. Each of the divided sections houses
specialized organs, the head the compound eyes and antenna, the thorax the three
pairs of jointed legs and transparent wings, the abdomen the dragonflies’
reproductive and execratory organs. Dragonflies exist within the order Odonata,
a Greek word meaning “uneven wing”. This nickname was given to the dragonfly
because their hind wings are broader than their fore wings. This adaptation
allows their two sets of wings to work independently,
allowing dragonflies to maneuver effortlessly through the air in pursuit of
prey. Voracious eaters, a dragonfly can eat food equal to its own weight
in about 30 minutes. Dragonflies regularly
consume a vast array of insects including, house flies, butterflies, moths and even bees. One scientific study even showed
that a single dragonfly can consume well over 100 hundred mosquitoes a day!
Fossil
evidence indicates that dragonflies inhabited the earth over 325 million years
ago. These prehistoric relatives were monstrous compared to modern day
dragonflies with some having wingspans over 30 inches.
Dragonflies undergo a three stage life cycle (egg, nymph,
adult) which is classified as incomplete metamorphosis. Most other insects
undergo a four stage life cycle (egg, larva, pupa, adult). During its life
cycle, a dragonfly actually spends very little
of its life as an adult dragonfly. Most of its life is instead lived out in the
nymph stage underwater. Only after living this underwater existence for a
period of several years, does the nymph complete its final molt and emerge from
the shallows as a winged adult.
Upon emerging, adults typically survive for just a few weeks, just long enough
to find a mate and reproduce. During mating, the male
grasps the female at the back of the head and the female curls her abdomen
under her body to pick up sperm from the front of the males abdomen. This is
typically called the "heart" or "wheel" posture. After
mating, the female dragonfly will find a calm body water where she will deposit
her eggs on a plant in the water. The following spring, the eggs hatch and the
life cycle of the dragonfly begins again.
Wildlife Quiz Questions:
- To which family of creatures do dragonflies
belong?
- What three parts is a dragonfly’s body divided
into?
- What does the Greek word Odonata mean?
- How many mosquitoes can a dragonfly eat in a
single day?
- How long ago does fossil evidence indicate
dragonflies existed on earth?
- How wide was the wingspan of the prehistoric
dragonflies?
- What are the three stages of the dragonfly cycle
of incomplete metamorphosis?
Wildlife Quiz Answers:
- Dragonflies belong to the “insect” family of
creatures.
- Dragonflies bodies are divided into a head,
thorax and abdomen.
- The Greek word Odonata means “uneven wing”.
- A dragonfly can consume well over 100 hundred
mosquitoes in a single day!
- Fossil evidence indicates that dragonflies
inhabited the earth over 325 million years ago.
- The wingspan of the prehistoric dragonflies was
over 30 inches.
- Dragonflies undergo a three stage life cycle
(egg, nymph, adult) which is classified as incomplete metamorphosis.
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