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No. Flies are insects with two wings. Dragonflies have four wings. However, both flies and dragonflies are insects, meaning that they have six legs and three body parts: a head, a thorax, and an abdomen.
Why are they called dragonflies?
The name comes from their fierce jaws, which they use to catch flies (among other winged insects).
Where do dragonflies come from?
During their lifetime, dragonflies have two totally different lifestyles. In almost all cases, the egg and larval stages are spent in water while the adult stage is spent in the air. They are normally found near water: Ponds, lakes, canals, streams, rivers and swamps. Some dragonflies who have a short larvae cycle (a few weeks) also can live in rain puddles after heavy rains.
The dragonfly begins its life as an egg. After mating, female dragonflies lay dozens or hundreds of eggs. Different species place them in different places in or near freshwater. Some put them in the water, some in plants over the water, some in mud or algae at the edge of the water. Sometimes, the eggs are laid on the surface of the water. The eggs look like long cylinders surrounded by a jelly-like mixture. After about two weeks, the eggs hatch and an immature dragonfly, or nymph, emerges. The nymphs are not pretty like the adults. They have tiny wings and a large lower lip, which they use to catch their prey. As the nymph grows bigger, it sheds it's skin up to 15 times.
The nymph has gills like a fish which help it to breathe under the water. When dragonflies are in the nymphal stage, they eat tiny water creatures that live in ponds. As the nymphs grow, they eat bigger foods such as water fleas and mosquito and mayfly larva that also live in ponds. When the nymph is much older and larger, it eats small fish, tadpoles, water beetles and even big worms. Dragonflies even eat each other! Dragonfly nymphs live in the water. As they grow, they molt (shed their skin). Nymphs of some species may take as long as three years to mature. When the dragonfly nymph reaches maturity, it crawls out of the water onto a plant stem. Then its skin begins to split. First the head, then the thorax, then the legs, and then the wings of an adult dragonfly emerge. Soon the newly emerged dragonfly is able to fly. The process takes about two hours. It takes about two days before the adult dragonfly's beautiful colors are fully developed. Adult dragonflies can be very colorful, some are red, blue, yellow, or green. Most adult dragonflies live only a few weeks to a few months.
How do dragonflies behave?
Dragonflies need sunny warm weather to fly, usually the temperature must be over 65°Fahrenheit. If it is too cold or wet, they hide in vegetation. Adult male dragonflies often establish territories along the edges of ponds or streams. They only defend the territory against other males of their species. Some large dragonfly species migrate south to warmer climates at the end of the summer. Their offspring may then migrate north the following year.
How long have dragonflies been around?
Dragonflies are very ancient insects. They were here on earth even before the dinosaurs! Ancient dragonflies may have been considerably larger than those we see today. We know that dragonflies lived 300 million years ago and one was named Meganeura monyi, it's known from fossils and had a wingspan of 27.6 inches.. Today, the largest dragonfly is found in Central American is named Megaloprepus coerulatusand and has a wingspan of slightly over seven inches. There are several dragonflies in the genus Agriocnemis with a wingspan of just about 7/10 inch. Other than being smaller, modern-day dragonflies do not look very different from their ancient ancestors.
How many kinds of dragonflies are there?
Entomologists have named at least 5413 species of damselflies and dragonflies. New species are still being discovered. Many damselflies and dragonflies live in rain forests where few dragonfly researchers have been.
Are dragonflies like other insects?
Dragonflies and damselflies belong to an order of insects all their own, called Odonata. Although the two are similar, damselflies are smaller than dragonflies. In addition, damselflies can fold their wings over their backs when they are at rest. Dragonflies can't fold their wings, so they rest with their wings held straight out.
Are dragonflies harmful or beneficial to humans?
Dragonflies are definitely not harmful to humans. They do not bite or sting. They are very beneficial for they eat all sorts of insects including mosquitoes, flying ants, swarming termites, flies, gnats, and just about anything small enough for them to catch. Dragonflies are sometimes called "mosquito hawk" because they catch and eat so many mosquitoes. Always on the hunt, dragonflies consume gnats, flies, and mosquitoes--all of which humans consider pests.
How fast do dragonflies fly?
Dragonflies have the most accomplished flying technique in the entire animal kingdom. They can fly forward and backward, and their quick darting ability assists them in escaping predators. Catching prey or avoiding predators is simplified by their sharp vision. The dragonfly’s compound eyes have 10,000-30,000 facets. It's hard to measure the flight speed of a dragonfly since they almost never fly with constant speed in a straight line. A dragonfly has two sets of wings or four wings in total. Each wing has its own muscle inside the thorax. That means that each wing can be controlled separately and can beat up to 30 times per second!. This helps dragonflies to fly very quickly. Large dragonflies can fly up to 60 kilometers an hour- that's as fast as a car! The maximum flight speed varies a lot between different species. As a rule of thumb - a bigger dragonfly fly faster than a smaller one. A ten minute walk for you is only about a 30 second flight for them.
Why are dragonflies such good hunters?
The Dragonflies' speed and ability to maneuver makes them able to simply out-fly their prey. But dragonflies also have the advantage of excellent eyesight. Look at their huge eyes. Each of the two large eyes is made up of thousands of six-sided units. The position of all these little lenses gives the insect a 360 degree field of vision and 80% of their brain is devoted to sight. Together, these facts enable a dragonfly to detect even the slightest movement. .
Who are predators of dragonflies? How do they avoid capture?
Frogs/toads, fish, large spiders, birds, bats and larger Dragonflies are known predators of Dragonflies. Immature dragonflies avoid predators by hiding, and by jetting away if they have to. Adult dragonflies avoid predators with their quick and agile flight, and hide in vegetation when it is too cold to fly. Some plants, like the sundew plant, eat dragonflies. In some countries, people eat dragonflies in soup or as a crunchy snack.
The Devil's Darning Needles - Fact or Fiction?
Dragonflies were know as the "devil's darning needles" because it was once believed that they would sew the lips of wicked children together while they were sleeping. And it was thought that dragonflies could bring snakes back to life. As a result, they were also known as "snake doctors." Despite their appearance, rapid speed, and "rattling" approach dragonflies are harmless to humans.The clasper at the end of the abdomen of the insect is often mistaken for a stinger. The male actually uses it to hold onto the female dragonfly when mating!
The Cost per Hundred Adult Dragoflies from Safe Solutions, Inc. - You pay $150.00 per hundred dragonflies and we will send you a selection overnight via FEDEX in the continental USA at a rate of $30.00 or a total of $180.00. Overseas shipments will use DHL at a cost of $75.00 or a total of $225.00.
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