Dragonfly Adults

Life in the Air Dragonfly Adults Curator Emeritus of Entomology, Dr Rob Cannings Out of the water, the dragonfly begins its final moult. The top of the larval skin splits open and the adult insect squeezes out. It pumps blood into its expanding wings and abdomen. Gradually, the body hardens. After an hour or two the dragonfly can fly, weakly at first, on fragile wings. An immature adult is pale in colour but gets darker and often brighter as they age. An adult dragonfly will not grow larger, even though it eats a lot. Dragonflies are powerful predators that hunt by sight, capturing other insects by grabbing them with their long, spiny legs and then chewing the food with powerful jaws. When they are old enough, dragonflies return to the water to breed. Most that you see near water are males aggressively searching for mates. In many species, males defend a territory Pair of Northern Spreadwing (Lestes disjunctus) against others of the same species, patrolling the habitat or flying damselflies. Male (above) is guarding female from other males. Female (below) is laying eggs in plant out from perches. This behaviour reduces aggression by spacing stem. Photo: RBCM, G. Doerksen males along the shore and decreases disturbance of egg-laying females. Females fly to the water and quickly attract mates. With claspers at the tip of the abdomen, a male grasps a female by the front of the thorax (damselflies) or by the top of the head (true dragonflies). The female then loops the end of her abdomen up to the base of his, where sperm is transferred. The Odonata are the only insects that mate in this circular formation. The female lays fertilized eggs by the hundreds. All damselflies and some true dragonflies have a knifelike egg-laying structure (ovipositor) at the tip of the abdomen. The eggs are usually inserted into plant material. Other species lacking ovipositors drop eggs into the water or tap them into mud and moss. BC dragonflies live only a short time as adults – about one to two months. Pair of Striped Meadowhawk (Sympetrum pallipes) dragonflies mating (male left, female right). Photo: RBCM, G. Doerksen 1 ! .

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List of Animal Species with Ranks October 2017
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About this Checklist deposit the eggs of further generations. This period River Bluet S c Emma’s Dancer NW,SW,SC o Dragonflies and Damselflies belong to the insect of adult activity is called the Flight Season. Following Enallagma anna M J J A S O N Argia emma M J J A S O N order Odonata, which is split into two suborders: each species is a phenogram [ M J J A S O N ], and Anisoptera – Dragonflies and Zygoptera highlighted in red are the months (May – Nov.) when Familiar Bluet NE,SE c – Damselflies. This checklist includes 53 species of one might expect to see that species during the year. Enallagma civile M J J A S O N Dragonflies (Anisoptera) Dragonflies and 29 species of Damselflies which are Tule Bluet S c known to occur within the state of Montana. Each Species Observed through Oct. 2009 Darners Aeshnidae Enallagma carunculatum M J J A S O N species is listed under its family name and genus. Mosaic Darners Aeshna Common and scientific names are current with those Alkali Bluet S u Damselflies (Zygoptera) Black-tipped Darner NW u set by the Checklist Committee of the Dragonfly Enallagma clausum M J J A S O N Society of the Americas. Aeshna tuberculifera M J J A S O N Broad-winged Damsels Calopterygidae Northern Bluet S c Sedge Darner NW,SW u Jewelwings Calopteryx Enallagma annexum M J J A S O N Distribution Aeshna juncea M J J A S O N To the right of each common name, one or more River Jewelwing NW,SW u Boreal Bluet S c of the following regions will be listed to show the Subarctic Darner NW,SW r Calopteryx aequabilis M J J A S O N Enallagma boreale M J J A S O N approximate distribution of the species within the Aeshna subarctica M J J A S O N Marsh Bluet S c state.
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