Scientifically called zygoptera , they are a suborder of insects in the order Odonata. These spectacularly colored and flying insects are often mistaken for dragonflies , a close relative in this order. But even though they are very similar, they are two different groups of insects that we can differentiate with the naked eye without being expert entomologists.
Summary
[ hide ]
- 1 He dwells
- 2Especies
- 3 General characteristics
- 1 Courtship and reproduction
- 2 Life cycle
- 3 Power
- 4 Related article
- 5 Sources
Habitat
Damselflies are found in Central and South America and an exceptional species exists in East Africa . They live mainly near small streams of water. They prefer a water with low temperature and a moderate or fast flow. The water does not have to be rich in nutrients. The waters are normally close to forests.
Species
There are more than 1000 species of Damselfly, there are approximately 150 species in North America and the best known are:
- Calopteryx virgo
- Enallagma of the football team
- Symmetry
- Sympetrum-costiferum
General characteristics
They have large multifaceted eyes, very close together; two pairs of strong transparent wings and an elongated body. They have excellent eyesight, thanks to the peculiar structure of their eyes: around 30,000 facets arranged in such a way that they allow approximately 360º of visual field.
The profiled camouflage technique stands out among its characteristics. Given the movements they make, they are capable of creating an optical illusion, they project themselves, so that the prey is not aware of the rapid attack it is going to suffer.
Experts have found thousands of species of dragonflies, but the most common is the one called Anax junius, a surprising fact should be highlighted; It can fly at a speed of 85 km/h.
They always indicate nearby water, such as rivers, lakes, ponds and even puddles, since that is where the female lays her eggs. But they are not stupid at all. If their migration route passes through a large area of water (lakes or sea), they will look for an alternative, since they never run the risk of spending long days flying over an area where they could get lost.
Courtship and reproduction
The male asserts his rights over a territory near the water and fiercely defends it from all his rivals. When the female arrives, the male modifies his flight style. Thus, he makes a display to woo her mate, before holding her head with special clamps located at the end of her abdomen. The female then arches her abdomen forward to gather her sexual organs and fertilization occurs. The female lays her eggs near her or in the water.
The larvae are ferocious predators, which, through the mask (retractable arm) that they have under their mouths, hunt other animals: tadpoles, fish and even other dragonfly larvae.
As a curiosity, it should be noted that males have an organ whose function is to remove the sperm that the female could have from the fertilization of other males.
Lifecycle
The life cycle of dragonflies, from the egg stage to death in adulthood, ranges from six months to six or seven years. On some occasions, females lay eggs in small cracks in the mud or moss.
They spend most of their life as underwater larvae breathing through gills, feeding on other invertebrates or even vertebrates , such as tadpoles or fish .
In the adult phase (flying) the largest species can live up to four months.
Feeding
They feed on mosquitoes and other small insects such as flies , bees and butterflies . They even eat flying insects of their own specie
