Dragonflies have two pairs of membranous wings.
The notion of dragonfly comes from the scientific Latin libellula , which is the diminutive of libella . The etymology refers to the idea of balance or level , as detailed by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary .
A colorful insect with an elongated body, large eyes and two pairs of wings that it manages to keep in a horizontal position when landing is called a dragonfly . The etymological origin of the term is linked to the ability of this animal to maintain its balance in the air.
Classification of dragonflies
Dragonflies are part of the order Odonata , where predatory insects with two pairs of transparent and membranous wings, extensive abdomen and large compound eyes are grouped. Continuing with the classification, dragonflies make up the suborder of the epiprocts and the infraorder of the anisopterans .
Due to their inability to fold their wings over their abdomen, dragonflies are paleoptera . It is important to clarify that there are different types of dragonflies and that sometimes animals that belong to different groups are even named with synonyms.
Aguaciles, damselflies, easels, chapulets y lice killer son algunas de las denominaciones que, dependiendo del país y del área geográfica, reciben las libélulas.
Dragonflies' eyes are compound.
Main features
Dragonflies live along the banks of rivers and lakes , in swampy areas and in puddles . This is because females lay their eggs in or near water .
When the eggs hatch, dragonflies are born as nymphs , remaining underwater and breathing through gills. When they become adults, the specimens begin their lung respiration, developing their flying phase .
Dragonflies are predators : they feed on other insects, such as mosquitoes, bees, moths and flies. It is important to mention that they do not usually bite people and that they even help control populations of insects that can transmit diseases to humans, as is the case with mosquitoes that spread dengue .
The common dragonfly
The animal with the scientific name Anax junius is known as the common dragonfly , June dragonfly or green dragonfly . This species , recognized for the speed of its flight and its large size, lives in North America , Central America and the Caribbean .
The common dragonfly has a green and blue body. It is migratory , being able to fly more than 130 kilometers in a single day. This dragonfly usually settles in ponds , lakes and streams with little current.
Other species
The flat-bellied dragonfly , scientifically called Libellula depressa , lives in Europe and Asia . Its color is yellowish in the case of females and bluish in males.
The blue dragonfly ( Calopteryx splendens ), for its part, is distributed in European, Asian and African regions. Their lifespan does not tend to extend more than two weeks.
The kestrel dragonfly ( Onychogomphus uncatus ) and the emperor dragonfly ( Anax imperator ) are other beings that receive this name. Although they all share certain characteristics that make them similar, each one has its own particular traits. That is why it can be said that the idea of a dragonfly covers a wide variety of insects.