A dragonfly is a type of insect belonging to the order Odonata Odonata is an order of insects, encompassing dragonflies and damselflies (Zygoptera). The word dragonfly is also sometimes used to refer to all Odonata, but the back-formation odonate is a more correct English name for the group as a whole. Odonata enthusiasts avoid ambiguity by using the term true dragonfly, or simply Anisopteran, when referring, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera. It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes Eyes are organs that detect light, and send electrical impulses along the optic nerve to the visual and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system. Image-resolving eyes are present in cnidaria, molluscs, chordates,, two pairs of strong transparent wings Insect wings are adult outgrowths of the insect exoskeleton that enable insects to fly. They are found on the second and third thoracic segments , and the two pairs are often referred to as the forewings and hindwings, respectively, though a few insects lack hindwings, even rudiments. Insect wings do not constitute appendages in technical parlance,, and an elongated body. Dragonflies are similar to damselflies Damselflies are insects in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest. Furthermore, the hindwing of the damselfly is essentially similar to the forewing, while the hindwing of the dragonfly, but the adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of most dragonflies are held away from, and perpendicular to, the body when at rest. Even though dragonflies possess 6 legs like any other insect, they are not capable of walking.

Dragonflies are valuable predators In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey (the organism that is attacked). Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption. The other main that eat mosquitoes Mosquito is a common insect in the family Culicidae (from the Latin culex meaning midge or gnat). Mosquitoes resemble crane flies (family Tipulidae) and chironomid flies (family Chironomidae), with which they are sometimes confused by the casual observer, and other small insects like flies True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax, bees Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila. There are nearly 20,000 known species of bees in seven to nine recognized families,, ants A phylogeny of the extant ant subfamilies, and butterflies A butterfly is any of several groups of mainly day-flying insects of the order Lepidoptera, the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, butterflies' life cycle consists of four parts, egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. They are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands A wetland is an area of land which soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally. Such areas may also be covered partially or completely by shallow pools of water. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, and bogs, among others. The water found in wetlands can be saltwater, freshwater, or brackish. The world's largest wetland is the because their larvae A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle, known as "nymphs In biology, a nymph is the immature form of some invertebrates, particularly insects, which undergoes gradual metamorphosis before reaching its adult stage. Unlike a typical larva, a nymph's overall form already resembles that of the adult. In addition, while a nymph moults it never enters a pupal stage. Instead, the final moult results in an", are aquatic.

Contents

Etymology

Anisoptera comes from the Greek Greek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical ancient Greek literature and the New Testament of an meaning not, iso meaning equal, and ptera meaning wings. Their hind wings are broader than their forewings.

Life cycle

Female dragonflies lay eggs In most birds, reptiles, insects, fish, and two types of mammals an egg (Latin, ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. To enable incubation the egg is usually kept within a favourable temperature range as it nourishes and protects the growing embryo. When the embryo is adequately developed it breaks out of the egg in the in or near water, often on floating or emergent plants. When laying eggs, some species will submerge themselves completely in order to lay their eggs on a good surface. The eggs then hatch into nymphs. Most of a dragonfly's life is spent in the nymph form, beneath the water's surface, using extendable jaws Insects exhibit a range of mouthparts, adapted to particular modes of feeding. The earliest insects had chewing mouthparts. Specialisation has mostly been for piercing and sucking, although a range of specialisations exist, as these modes of feeding have evolved a number of times (for example, mosquitoes (which are flies) and aphids (which are to catch other invertebrates An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 95% of all animal species — all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata or even vertebrates Vertebrates are members of the subphylum Vertebrata, chordates with backbones or spinal columns. About 58,000 species of vertebrates have been described. Vertebrata is the largest subphylum of chordates, and contains many familiar groups of large land animals. Vertebrates comprise cyclostomes, bony fish, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, such as tadpoles and fish. They breathe through gills in their rectum The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in some mammals, and the gut in others, terminating in the anus. The human rectum is about 12 cm long.[citation needed] Its caliber is similar to that of the sigmoid colon at its commencement, but it is dilated near its termination, forming the rectal ampulla, and can rapidly propel themselves by suddenly expelling water through the anus.[1] Some nymphs even hunt on land,[2] an aptitude which could easily have been more common in ancient times when terrestrial predators were clumsier.

The larval stage of large dragonflies may last as long as five years. In smaller species, this stage may last between two months and three years. When the larva is ready to metamorphose into an adult, it climbs up a reed Reed is a generic botanical term used to describe numerous tall, grass-like plants of wet places, which are the namesake vegetation of reed beds. They are all members of the order Poales , and include: or other emergent plant. Exposure to air causes the larva to begin breathing. The skin splits at a weak spot behind the head and the adult dragonfly crawls out of its old larval skin, pumps up its wings, and flies off to feed on midges and flies. In flight the adult dragonfly can propel itself in six directions; upward, downward, forward, back, and side to side.[3] The adult stage of larger species of dragonfly can last as long as five or six months.

Classification (Anisozygoptera)

Formerly, the Anisoptera were given suborder rank beside the "ancient dragonflies" (Anisozygoptera) which were believed to contain the two living species of the genus Epiophlebia and numerous fossil ones. More recently it turned out that the "anisozygopterans" form a paraphyletic A group of taxa is said to be paraphyletic if the group contains its last common ancestor but does not contain all the descendants of that ancestor. This term is used in both phylogenetics[note 1] and linguistics assemblage of morphologically In biology "morphology" is the study of the form, structure and configuration of an organism. This includes aspects of the outward appearance [citation needed] as well as the form and structure of the internal parts like bones and organs. This is in contrast to physiology, which deals primarily with function primitive relatives of the Anisoptera. Thus, the Anisoptera (true dragonflies) are reduced to an infraorder The Latin suffix -formes meaning "having the form of" is used for the scientific name of orders of birds and fishes, but not for those of mammals and invertebrates in the new suborder Epiprocta (dragonflies in general). The artificial grouping Anisozygoptera is disbanded, its members being largely recognized as extinct offshoots at various stages of dragonfly evolution Evolution is the change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms through successive generations. After a population splits into smaller groups, these groups evolve independently and may eventually diversify into new species. Ultimately, life is descended from a common ancestory through a long series of these speciation events,. The two living species formerly placed there — the Asian relict dragonflies — form the infraorder Epiophlebioptera alongside the Anisoptera.

Dragonflies and damselflies

Unusual for a damselfly, the Sydney Flatwing hold their wings horizontal (perpendicular) to their body

Damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) are often confused with newly moulted dragonflies but once a dragonfly moults, it is fully grown. There are other distinctions that set them apart: most damselflies hold their wings at rest together above the torso or held slightly open above (such as in the family Lestidae), whereas most dragonflies at rest hold their wings horizontally or occasionally slightly down and forward. Also, the back wing of the dragonfly broadens near the base, caudal to the connecting point at the body, while the back wing of the damselfly is similar to the front wing. The eyes on a damselfly are apart; in most dragonflies the eyes touch. Notable exceptions are the Petaluridae (Petaltails) and the Gomphidae (Clubtails).

Common species

Northern Hemisphere

Broad-bodied Chaser

Southern Hemisphere

A Tau Emerald (Hemicordulia tau) in mid flight Kirby's Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) in Tsumeb Tsumeb is the capital city of the Oshikoto region in northern Namibia. It is located at: 19°15′S 17°42′E / 19.25°S 17.7°E. Tsumeb is seen as "gateway to the north" of Namibia[citation needed]. It is the closest town to the Etosha National Park, and has a population of 20,000 inhabitants, Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the east, and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990 following the Namibian War of. Flame Skimmer

Dragonflies in cultures

In Europe, dragonflies have often been seen as sinister. Some English vernacular names, such as "devil The Devil is believed in certain religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The Devil is commonly associated with heretics, infidels, and other unbelievers. The Abrahamic religions have variously regarded the Devil as a rebellious fallen angel or demon that's darning needle" and "ear cutter", link them with evil or injury.[4] A Romanian Romania (pronounced /roʊˈmeɪniə/ roe-MAY-nee-ə; dated: Rumania, Roumania; Romanian: România [romɨˈni.a] ( listen)) is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, north of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta folk tale Folklore consists of culture, including stories, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The academic and usually says that the dragonfly was once a horse The horse is a hooved (ungulate) mammal, a subspecies of the family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began to domesticate horses around 4000 BCE, and their domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BCE. Although possessed by the devil. Swedish Sweden (pronounced /ˈswiːdən/ SWEE-dən, Swedish: Sverige [ˈsvær.jə]), officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige (help·info)), is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and water borders with Denmark, Germany and folklore holds that the devil uses dragonflies to weigh people's souls.[5] Another Swedish legend holds that trolls Originally more or less the Nordic equivalents of giants, although often smaller in size, the different depictions have come to range from the fiendish giants – similar to the ogres of England – to a devious, more human-like folk of the wilderness, living underground in hills, caves or mounds. In the Faroe islands, Orkney and Shetland tales, use the dragonflies as spindles A spindle is a wooden spike (known as the shaft) used for spinning wool, flax, hemp, cotton, and other fibres into thread. It is commonly weighted at either the bottom middle or top, most commonly by a circular or spherical object called a whorl, and may also have a hook, groove or notch, though spindles without these are also common. Spindle when weaving their clothes (hence the Swedish word for dragonfly trollslända, lit. "troll's spindle") as well as sending them to poke out the eyes of their enemies.[citation needed] The Norwegian Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants (see Danish language) name for dragonflies is "Øyenstikker", which literally means Eye Poker and in Portugal Portugal /ˈpɔɹtʃʉɡəl/ (Portuguese: Portugal, Mirandese: Pertual), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa; Mirandese: República Pertuesa), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and they are sometimes called "Tira-olhos" (Eye snatcher). They are often associated with snakes Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with many more joints than their lizard ancestors,, as in the Welsh Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border, in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia, and the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand name gwas-y-neidr, "adder's servant".[4] The Southern United States The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, Down South, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States. Because of the region's unique cultural and historic heritage, including Native Americans, early European settlements of English, Ulster Scots, term "snake doctor" refers to a folk belief that dragonflies follow snakes around and stitch them back together if they are injured.[6] The Lithuanian word "Laum žirgis" is a composite word meaning "the Lauma Latvian: Lauma, Lithuanian: Laumė is a woodland fae, and guardian spirit of orphans in Eastern Baltic mythology. Originally a sky spirit, her compassion for human suffering brought her to earth to share our fate's horse", while in Dutch, Aeshna mixta is called "Paardenbijter" or "horse biter". In some South American countries, dragonflies are also called matacaballo (horse killer), or caballito del diablo (devil's little horse), since they were perceived as harmful, some species being quite large for an insect.

In East Asia and among Native Americans, dragonflies have a far better reputation, one that can also be said to have positively influenced modern day views about dragonflies in most countries, in the same vein as the insect's namesake, the dragon Dragons are legendary creatures, typically with serpentine or otherwise reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures, which has a positive image in the east,[citation needed] but initially had an association with evil in the west.

Dragonfly symbol on a Hopi The Hopi are a Native American people who primarily live on the 12,635 km² Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi Reservation is entirely surrounded by the much larger Navajo Reservation. The two nations used to share the Navajo-Hopi Joint Use Area. The partition of this area, commonly known as Big Mountain, by Acts of Congress in 1974 bowl from Sikyatki archaeological site.

For some Native American tribes they represent swiftness and activity, and for the Navajo The Navajo, or Diné, of the Southwestern United States are the second largest Native American tribe of Northern America. In the 2000 U.S. census, 298,197 people claimed to be fully or partly of Navajo ancestry. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the Four Corners area of they symbolize pure water. Dragonflies are a common motif in Zuni The Zuni or A:shiwi (as the Zuni refer to themselves in their own language) are a Native American tribe, one of the Pueblo peoples, most of whom live in the Pueblo of Zuni on the Zuni River, a tributary of the Little Colorado River, in western New Mexico, United States. Zuni is 55 km (35 miles) south of Gallup, New Mexico. According to the 2000 pottery; stylized as a double-barred cross, they appear in Hopi The Hopi are a Native American people who primarily live on the 12,635 km² Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi Reservation is entirely surrounded by the much larger Navajo Reservation. The two nations used to share the Navajo-Hopi Joint Use Area. The partition of this area, commonly known as Big Mountain, by Acts of Congress in 1974 rock art and on Pueblo The Pueblo people are a Native American people in the Southwestern United States. Their traditional economy is based on agriculture and trade. When first encountered by the Spanish in the 16th century, they were living in villages that the Spanish called pueblos, meaning "villages". Of the 21 pueblos that exist today, Taos, Acoma, Zuni, necklaces.[7] It is said in some Native American beliefs that dragonflies are a symbol of renewal after a time of great hardship.

They also have traditional uses as medicine in Japan and China. In some parts of the world they are a food source, eaten either as adults or larvae; in Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia), is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With a population of around 230 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, and has the world's largest population of Muslims. Indonesia is a republic, with an, for example, they are caught on poles made sticky with birdlime Birdlime is a viscid, adhesive substance used in trapping birds. It is spread on a branch or twig, upon which a bird may land and be caught. Its use is illegal in many countries, then fried in oil as a delicacy.[4]

Vietnamese people Predominantly Mahayana Buddhism, with influences of Taoism and a background of Confucian thought . Significant Roman Catholic, Hoa Hao Buddhist, Cao Dai and small Protestant minorities have a traditional way to forecast rain Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface. On Earth, it is the condensation of atmospheric water vapor into drops of water heavy by seeing dragonflies: "Chuồn chuồn bay thấp thì mưa, bay cao thì nắng, bay vừa thì râm" (Dragonflies fly at low level, it is rainy; dragonflies fly at high level, it is sunny; dragonflies fly at medium level, it is shadowy).

In some parts of the world it is considered lucky to have a dragonfly land on you, even to the point of yielding seven years of good luck.

In the United States dragonflies and damselflies are sought out as a hobby similar to birding and butterflying, known as oding, from the dragonfly's Latin species name, odonata. Oding is especially popular in Texas, where 225 out of a total of 457 known species of odonates in the world have been observed. With care, dragonflies can be handled and released by Oders, like butterflies.[8]

Images of dragonflies were common in Art Nouveau, especially in jewelry designs. [9] They also appear in posters by modern artists such as Maeve Harris.[10] They have also been used as a decorative motif on fabrics and home furnishings.[11]

Japan

In Japan dragonflies symbolize "martial success," due to similarity in the sound of the word "dragonfly" and "victory" in Japanese.[citation needed] As a seasonal symbol, the dragonfly is associated with late summer and early autumn.[12]

More generally, in Japan dragonflies are symbols of courage, strength, and happiness, and they often appear in art and literature, especially haiku. In ancient mythology, Japan was known as Akitsushima, which means "Land of the Dragonflies".[citation needed] The love for dragonflies is reflected by the fact that there are traditional names for almost all of the 200 species of dragonflies found in and around Japan.[13] 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. The dragonfly mistakes the pebbles for prey, gets tangled in the hair, and is dragged to the ground by the weight.[14]

Also, in Japan, amongst the Three Great Spears of Japan is one which is called the Tonbogiri, which when translated is called 'The Dragon Fly Cutter'. The spear is an important part of Japan's imperial regalia - the spear itself was once wielded by the legendary Samurai, Honda Tadakatsu. Its name is derived from the story that the blade is so sharp, a dragonfly once landed on it and was instantly cut in half.

Other

In drug references, several drugs have been synthesized that have molecule structures resembling Dragonflies. For instance Bromo-dragonfly and 2C-B-FLY. The names reflect the dragonfly appearance.

Gallery

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Red Dragonfly from California

Dragonfly from Florida.

Australian blue dragonfly

African dragonfly perched on a leaf

Green Darner Dragonfly feeding on honey bee

Austrogomphus guerini

Flame Skimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata

Dragonfly in midflight over a creek

The compound eyes of a dragonfly

Cherry-faced Meadowhawk, Sympetrum internum

Dragonflies mating

Mating

Mating

Dragonfly depositing eggs

Sympetrum fonscolombii

Dragonfly from Lower Silesia - top

A perched dragonfly Widow Skimmer

California Spreadwing Archilestes californicus

Indian pied paddy skimmer female

Indian pied paddy skimmer male

in Brazos Bend State Park, Texas, USA

Blue Dragonfly in Kamakura, Japan

Sardinian Dragonfly

Female Red-veined darter. Lisboa, Portugal

Emperor dragonfly in Greece

Dragonfly, Kolkata India

Dragonfly, Kolkata India

Red Dragonfly (Trithemis annulata), Israel

See also

References

  1. ^ Springerlink.com
  2. ^ Grzimeck, HC; Bernard (1975). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia Vol 22. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 348.
  3. ^ Waldbauer, Gilbert (2006). A Walk Around the Pond: Insects in and Over the Water. Harvard University Press. pp. 105. ISBN 9780674022119. http://books.google.com/books?id=WtUc-YdjZzgC&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&dq=dragonfly+nymph+water+rectum&source=web&ots=j2hvxI_vHC&sig=D4hXLuWtQAJUW7WIISfMY_K201s#PPA105,M1.
  4. ^ a b c Corbet, Phillip S. (1999). Dragonflies: Behavior and Ecology of Odonata. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. pp. 559–561. ISBN 0-8014-2592-1.
  5. ^ Mitchell, Forrest L.; James L. Lasswell (2005). A Dazzle of Dragonflies. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press. pp. 25–27. ISBN 1-585-44459-6.
  6. ^ Hand, Wayland D. (1973). "From Idea to Word: Folk Beliefs and Customs Underlying Folk Speech". American Speech 48 (1/2): 67–76. doi:10.2307/3087894. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-1283(197321%2F22)48%3A1%2F2%3C67%3AFITWFB%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Y. Retrieved 2007-02-15.
  7. ^ Mitchell and Lasswell, 20-26.
  8. ^ "Dragonflying: The new birding" by Tracy Hobson Lehmann San Antonio Express-News June 19, 2008
  9. ^ Moonan, Wendy (August 13, 1999). "Dragonflies Shimmering as Jewelry". New York Times: pp. E2:38. ProQuest document ID 43893085.
  10. ^ "The Maeve Harris category contains 37 items". AllPosters.com. 2009-09-18. http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?aid=470111166&c=c&search=41107&DestType=12&Referrer%20=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=com.ubuntu%3Aen-US%3Aunofficial&hs=&KWID=17261181&KEYWORD=Maeve+Harris&SEM=lang%3D1%26c%3Dc%26search%3D41107%26AID%3D470111166%26KWID%3D17261181%26Keyword%3DMaeve%2BHarris. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  11. ^ Large, Elizabeth (June 27, 1999). "The latest buzz; In the world of design, dragonflies are flying high". The Sun (Baltimore, MD): pp. 6N. ProQuest document ID 42880564.
  12. ^ Baird, Merrily (2001). Symbols of Japan: Thematic Motifs in Art and Design. New York: Rizzoli. pp. 108–9. ISBN 0-8478-2361-X.
  13. ^ Waldbauer, Gilbert (1998). The Handy Bug Answer Book. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 91. ISBN 1-57859-049-3.
  14. ^ Mitchell and Lasswell, 38.

External links

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