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More About Dragonflies ...
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The dragonfly (suborder Anisoptera) is an insect of the order Odonata, with large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of long transparent wings, and a long body. Dragonflies have very good eye sight due to their unique eye structure. Dragonflies typically eat mosquitoes, midges and other small insects like flies, bees, and butterflies. They are usually found around ponds, small streams, and swamps. Another name for them is mosquito hawks.
Dragonflies do not bite or sting humans.[1]
The life cycle of the dragonfly, from egg to death of adult, is from six months to as much as six or seven years. Sometimes female dragonflies lay eggs in the small cleft between mud or moss. Most of their life time is spent in the larval (nymph) form, beneath the water surface, using their gills to breathe, catching other invertebrates, such as tadpoles, or even tiny fish. In the adult (flying) stage larger species of dragonfly can live as long as four months. Dragonflies have about 30,000 facets to their eyes, giving them nearly a 360° field of vision.
In the past some much larger dragonfly species existed. The largest found was an extinct Protodonata from the Permian period with a wingspan of 70-75cm (27.5-29.5"). This compares to 19cm (7.5") for the largest modern species of odonate, the Central American giant damselfly Megaloprepus coerulatus. The smallest modern species recorded is the libellulid dragonfly Nannophya pygmaea from east Asia with a wing span of only 20mm, or about 3/4 of an inch.
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Hexapoda
Order: Odonata
Family:
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Dragonflies
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INFO LINKS
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Dragonfly
British Dragonfly Society
Frequently asked questions about Dragonflies Read More
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Dragonfly
British Dragonfly Society
Frequently asked questions about Dragonflies Read More
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Dragonfly
Bird Stuff - Dean Edwards
Lot of Dragonfly and Damselfly pictures Read More
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Dragonfly
The Longpoint schoolhouse
"The dragonfly is commonly seen around ponds, lakes, swamps, and marshes". Nice image and brief description Read More
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Southern hawker
BBC Nature: Wildfacts
"Dragonflies have long thin bodies, four large wings that are held out to the sides and two large compound eyes". Narrative on dragonfly Read More
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Dragonfly
Animals Of The Rainforest
Brief description, taxonomic information, pictures, and links Read More
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Dragonfly
Northamptonshire Wildlife
Nice picture gallery of dragonflies Read More
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Dragonfly
Desert USA
"There are about 5,000 known species of Dragonflies, the common name for members of the insect suborder Anisoptera, order Odonata". Brief description and pictures Read More
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Dragonfly
Kaweah Oaks Preserve
A detailed guide to dragonflies - very informative Read More
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Dragonfly
Amazing insects
short narrative/pictures Read More
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Dragonfly
University of Puget Sound
Huge collection of dragonfly images, beautifully scanned and categorized by species Read More
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Dragonfly
Rickert's Garden
About dragonflies in Minnesota, pictures of various species. Read More
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