About how fast can dragonflies fly

The flight muscles need to be kept at a suitable temperature for the dragonfly to be able to fly. Being cold-blooded, they can raise their temperature by basking in the sun. They are almost exclusively carnivorous, eating a wide variety of insects ranging from small midgets and mosquitoes to butterflies, moths, damselflies, and smaller dragonflies.

The neurons contain genes like those in the eye to make them sensitive to light. Light is sent down flexible light-pipes named optrodes from the backpack into the nerve cord to give steering commands to the insect. They have three life stages egg, nymph, adult , which are different from moths and butterflies, which have four. The nymph of a dragonfly is an aquatic creature, breathing underwater and even using this breath to propel forwards in the water.

These nymphs are also very long lived compared to other insects. Dragonflies have compound eyes and very good eyesight in comparison to the other insects. The best places to spot dragonflies are wetland habitats and forest areas.

They prefer living close to water bodies as laying eggs happens in the water. The best season for watching them is monsoon. Come join the festival, there is programming available for all age groups.

We will be distributing a brochure on identification of common dragonflies and showing movies on it. Apart from that, the Conservation Education Centre-Delhi runs regular programmes on them all year long.

For more information on the festival, email cecbnhsdelhi bnhs. There is a huge group of people that are fascinated with dragonflies. Want to know more about these interested insects? Here is more information about them. Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes , two pairs of strong, transparent wings , sometimes with colored patches, and an elongated body.

Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies Zygoptera , which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold the wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight.

Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colors produced by structural coloration , making them conspicuous in flight. Fossils of very large dragonfly ancestors in the Protodonata are found from million years ago Mya in Upper Carboniferous rocks; these had wingspans up to about mm 30 in.

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