When he finds a receptive female, he grasps her behind her head with claspers at the tip of his abdomen, and the two fly off together. First the male goes through what’s 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. Mating wheelĪdults also look for opportunities to mate. Their arms slant upward, forming a type of basket and enabling them to scoop up prey in flight. Adults live only about a month, hunting flies, mosquitos, and midges. They undergo between six and 15 molts before emerging as fully formed adult dragonflies, a process that takes about 12 hours. Nymphs propel themselves quickly by sucking water into their abdomen and then spitting it out. They may even cannibalize other dragonfly nymphs. Called naiads or nymphs, these larvae stay in the water for up to three years, hunting aquatic insects, mosquito larvae, or small fish with a lower jaw that reaches out and opens up sideways, snatching prey into their mouths. Around midsummer, females hover over bodies of fresh water and dip in their abdomens, laying eggs that hatch in about seven to eight days. ![]() Watery beginningsĭragonflies begin their lives in the water. Their compound eyes are so large they nearly touch, and each one has about 28,000 single eyes, or ommatidia.Īround 7,000 species of true dragonflies are alive today, and, together with the closely related damselflies, they form the group Odonta, which goes back 325 million years. Dragonflies can reach speeds of up to 35 miles an hour and fly just as gracefully backward by lifting off vertically, helicopter style. Living on every continent but Antarctica, these insects are instantly recognizable by their large bodies four long, horizontal wings and the way they hover and zip around. Whether delicately perched on a cattail or hovering over a pond, dragonflies are a sure sign of summer. The female lays her eggs near or in the water.Current Population Trend: Decreasing What is a dragonfly? They will then find a perch to land on and the male and female mate. When dragonflies breed, the male will attach the back of his abdomen to the female's head and in this position they fly together. When they have enough oxygen they push the water out very fast and this helps them move through the water. Larvae breathe by sucking water into their abdomen and moving it over their internal gills. Larvae eat insects in the water, worms, and occasionally tadpoles and small fish.įish, turtles, frogs, ducks, herons and larger insects all like to eat dragonflies.Īdult dragonflies breathe by drawing air into special breathing tubes in their bodies. The larvae live in streams, lakes and ponds among plants and rocks.Īdult dragonflies eat mainly flying insects. ![]() They also have very large eyes.Īdult dragonflies live near streams, lakes and ponds. They have three stages in their life cycle: egg - larva - adult.Īdult dragonflies have a long and slender abdomen, two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs. They also have very large eyes.ĭragonflies are insects. Adult dragonflies have a long and slender abdomen, two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs. They have three stages in their life cycle: egg - larva - adult.
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