Dragonflies

Introduction:
Dragonflies are aquatic insects characterized by large multifaceted eyes, and two strong, roughly equal pairs of transparent wings that provide agile flight.

Location:
They can be found in all temperate and tropical regions of the world - usually around lakes, ponds, and streams.

Size:
Most temperate-zone species of dragonflies have wingspans of 2" to 3.1" (5 to 8 cm), but wingspans of tropical species may reach 7.9" (20 cm). The largest known dragonfly lived over 270 million years ago, and had a wingspan of 29" (74 cm).

Food:
Dragonflies typically eat mosquitoes, midges and other small insects like flies, bees, and butterflies.

Life Cycle:
Most of the life of the dragonfly is spent in the larval form, beneath the water surface. Large dragonflies may live in this state for as long as five years, or two months to three years in smaller species. When the larva is ready to metamorphose into an adult, it climbs up a plant at night, it's breathing pattern changes, and then the skin splits at a weak spot behind the head, and the adult dragonfly crawls out of its old larval skin. It then waits for daylight and pumps up its wings and flies off. In the adult stage, larger species of dragonfly can live as long as four months.

Interesting Facts:
· Approximately 5900 species are known.
· They are among the most ancient of living creatures: insects were flying more than 300 million years ago.
· Dragonflies are day flyers.
· Male dragonflies are known for their territorial behaviour.
· Popular names for adults of both dragonflies and damselflies are darning needle, snake feeder, snake doctor, and mosquito hawk.
· Dragonflies can have more than 25,000 lenses in each eye, giving them almost 360- degree vision.

Population:
In many places dragonflies have disappeared or are far fewer in number than in times past due to polluted rivers, clogged ponds, and marshland being drained to satisfy the ever increasing demand for roads and houses. With this, forests disappear along with the mountain streams, which contain some of the world's most interesting and primitive species.

Help Protect Their Environment:
· Dig a small pond in your garden or yard. It will not be long before dragonflies start to colonize them, since many species readily discover new habitats.
· Encourage the city to dig larger ponds in parks and other various types of open space.
· Farmers and other landowners can be urged to preserve any hedges and shrubs where adults shelter in dull weather, and to keep ponds and other water on their land clear of pollutants and overgrowth.