Dazzling Dragonflies

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For more than 300 million years, the whirring wings of dragonflies have shimmered in the light of our planet’s sustaining star.
For more than 300 million years, the whirring wings of dragonflies have shimmered in the light of our planet’s sustaining star.
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Common darner.
Common darner.
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The dragonfly is both acrobatic and fast — with its four wings, it can zip, soar and turn on a dime at speeds up to 35 mph.
The dragonfly is both acrobatic and fast — with its four wings, it can zip, soar and turn on a dime at speeds up to 35 mph.
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Halloween pennant.
Halloween pennant.
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Skimmer dragonfly nymph.
Skimmer dragonfly nymph.
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Each bulging compound eye actually consists of up to 30,000 individual eyes!
Each bulging compound eye actually consists of up to 30,000 individual eyes!
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Common whitetail dragonfly.
Common whitetail dragonfly.
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White-faced meadowhawk capturing a mosquito.
White-faced meadowhawk capturing a mosquito.

The next time you spy a dragonfly skimming over a pond or darting and diving among streamside reeds, consider this: For more than 300 million years, the whirring wings of dragonflies have shimmered in the light of our planet’s sustaining star. Long before the first two-legged mammals stumbled onto the scene, before the first birds, before the first dinosaurs, dragonflies thrived in the moist jungles that once covered much of Earth. And some of them were huge: Etched in the fossil record are the veined wings of dragonflies with wingspans of nearly 2 1/2 feet.

That the dragonfly has survived so long while other creatures have come and gone is no mere accident. Few organisms — past or present — can claim a more perfect design for perpetuation. Although human eyes are easily beguiled by their sparkling flight on gossamer wings, these insects are hardly mere “flying flowers.” Dragonflies are tough, deadly predators and determined progenitors — both beauty and beast, driven on a reproductive path that stretches from prehistory to time’s horizon.

Amazing Diversity

Scientists place dragonflies in an insect order all their own, Odonata. They further divide that group — more than 5,500 species worldwide — into two suborders: the “true” dragonflies (Anisoptera), and damselflies (Zygoptera).

It’s easy to distinguish between a dragonfly and a damselfly. A resting dragon holds its four wings out flat, to its sides, and the hind pair is larger than the front. A damselfly at rest folds together all four of its wings, which are essentially the same size, vertically over its body. And while damsels’ eyes are on opposite sides of their heads, dragonfly eyes are close together. Despite these distinctions, most scientists take the practical route and use the word “dragonfly” when referring to both the dragonfly and the damselfly.

  • Published on Aug 1, 2006
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