There Be Dragons!

1. Dragonflies, like this male red meadowhawk, are part of many cultures. How are dragonflies portrayed in folklore?

In Europe, dragonflies are often associated with bad luck and darkness

Oboodashkwaanishiinh is the Ojibwe word for dragonfly, Butterfly' cousin with super powers

In England, dragonflies are sometimes called "The Devil's Needle" and "Horse Stingers"

All of the above--and more!

2. How do people identify dragonfly species, like this male twelve spotted skimmer and male slaty skimmer, one from another?

Behaviors, such as fliers vs. perchers

Color of wings and bodies

Veination patterns of their wings

Region and habitat types

All of the above!

There are many helpful websites and ID guides to get you started on learning more about these cool creatures.

Explanation

There are many helpful websites and ID guides to get you started on learning more about these cool creatures.

3. What happens to dragonflies, like this male red meadowhawk, in winter?

Some species migrate

Some species die before winter

Dragonflies hibernate

The first two answers are correct

Some adult dragonflies live for only a few weeks while others live up to a year. Scientists have tracked migratory dragonflies by attaching tiny transmitters to wings with a combination of eyelash adhesive and superglue. They found that green darners from New Jersey traveled only every third day and an average of 7.5 miles per day (though one dragonfly traveled 100 miles in a single day). A dragonfly called the Globe Skinner has the longest migration of any insect—11,000 miles back and forth across the Indian Ocean!

Explanation

Some adult dragonflies live for only a few weeks while others live up to a year. Scientists have tracked migratory dragonflies by attaching tiny transmitters to wings with a combination of eyelash adhesive and superglue. They found that green darners from New Jersey traveled only every third day and an average of 7.5 miles per day (though one dragonfly traveled 100 miles in a single day). A dragonfly called the Globe Skinner has the longest migration of any insect—11,000 miles back and forth across the Indian Ocean!

4. How do dragonflies, like this male twelve spotted skimmer, "see" the world?

Multi-faceted compound eyes

Trifocals

Laser focus

Their eyesight is poor, but they use heat seeking body parts

All dragonfly species have excellent vision. Nearly all of the dragonfly’s head is eye, so they have incredible vision that encompasses almost every angle except right behind them. Each compound eye is comprised of several thousand elements known as facets or ommatidia. These ommatidia contain light sensitive opsin proteins, thereby functioning as the visual sensing element in the compound eye. But unlike humans, day-flying dragonfly species have four or five different opsins, allowing them to see colors that are beyond human visual capabilities, such as ultraviolet (UV) light. Together, these thousands of ommatidia produce a mosaic of "pictures" but how this visual mosaic is integrated in the insect brain is still not known.

Explanation

All dragonfly species have excellent vision. Nearly all of the dragonfly’s head is eye, so they have incredible vision that encompasses almost every angle except right behind them. Each compound eye is comprised of several thousand elements known as facets or ommatidia. These ommatidia contain light sensitive opsin proteins, thereby functioning as the visual sensing element in the compound eye. But unlike humans, day-flying dragonfly species have four or five different opsins, allowing them to see colors that are beyond human visual capabilities, such as ultraviolet (UV) light. Together, these thousands of ommatidia produce a mosaic of "pictures" but how this visual mosaic is integrated in the insect brain is still not known.

5. Dragonflies, like this female widow skimmer, have a stinger: true or false?

True

False

Dragonflies have no stingers, but they can deliver a painful bite if threatened. There are more than 5,000 known species of dragonflies, all of which (along with cousin damselflies) belong to the order Odonata, which means “toothed one” in Greek and refers to the dragonfly’s serrated teeth.

Explanation

Dragonflies have no stingers, but they can deliver a painful bite if threatened. There are more than 5,000 known species of dragonflies, all of which (along with cousin damselflies) belong to the order Odonata, which means “toothed one” in Greek and refers to the dragonfly’s serrated teeth.

6. What do dragonflies, like this female eastern pondhawk, eat?

Mosquitoes

Flies

Butterflies and moths

Each other!

All of the above

Dragonflies, which eat insects as adults, are a great control on the mosquito population. A single dragonfly can eat 30 to hundreds of mosquitoes per day. Midges and mosquitoes make up the bulk of their diet, but dragonflies will also prey on flies, bees, beetles, moths, butterflies, and other flying insects. The larger the dragonfly, the larger the prey insect it can consume (including other dragonflies and damselflies). Dragonflies catch their insect prey by grabbing it with their feet. They’re so efficient in their hunting that, in one Harvard University study, the dragonflies caught 90 to 95 percent of the prey released into their enclosure. Hundreds of dragonflies of different species will gather in swarms, either for feeding or migration.

Explanation

Dragonflies, which eat insects as adults, are a great control on the mosquito population. A single dragonfly can eat 30 to hundreds of mosquitoes per day. Midges and mosquitoes make up the bulk of their diet, but dragonflies will also prey on flies, bees, beetles, moths, butterflies, and other flying insects. The larger the dragonfly, the larger the prey insect it can consume (including other dragonflies and damselflies). Dragonflies catch their insect prey by grabbing it with their feet. They’re so efficient in their hunting that, in one Harvard University study, the dragonflies caught 90 to 95 percent of the prey released into their enclosure. Hundreds of dragonflies of different species will gather in swarms, either for feeding or migration.

7. What is this female blue dasher doing?!

Olympic try-outs in gymnastics

This is the downward dragonfly yoga position

Impressing the male blue dasher

Increasing surface area to cool her body on a hot summer day

This is called obelisk posturing. The obelisk posture is a handstand-like position that some dragonflies and damselflies assume to prevent overheating on sunny days. The abdomen is raised until its tip points at the sun, minimizing the surface area exposed to solar radiation.

Explanation

This is called obelisk posturing. The obelisk posture is a handstand-like position that some dragonflies and damselflies assume to prevent overheating on sunny days. The abdomen is raised until its tip points at the sun, minimizing the surface area exposed to solar radiation.

There Be Dragons!

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