The dragonflies (scientific name: anisoptera) are carnivorous insects and predators of the Odonata order. Their bodies are made up of the head, chest and abdomen and are usually bright and colorful.
They are one of the first insects to appear on Earth - they have been present on the planet since the Carboniferous period of the era Paleozoic, about 300 million years ago, even before the existence of dinosaurs.
Most of their life is in the larval period, when they live in rivers and lakes. Dragonflies undergo several mutations until adulthood, when they become airborne terrestrial insects.
There are around 5,600 species of dragonflies, of these, about 800 can be found in Brazil.
This insect also carries different symbolisms for different peoples, mainly due to its transformation capacity.
Morphological characteristics
Dragonflies are formed by head, chest and abdomen and its length can vary from 2 to 16 cm, depending on the species.
On its thorax are located three pairs of legs with short hairs that help them capture their prey and two pairs of membranous, rigid wings. On the head they have two small antennas.
Your eyes occupy almost the entirety of your head and are composed of hundreds of thousands of hexagonal lenses that give you a privileged view of almost 360º.
Dragonflies are one of the fastest insects around, they can reach the speed of 85 km per hour.
Habitat: where do dragonflies live?
Dragonflies live in swampy areas and close to rivers and streams. They can be found on all continents - except the North Pole - but are more common in tropical and subtropical regions.
Dragonflies are important water quality bioindicators - the pollution of rivers, lakes and streams is a threat to the life of these insects.
Also know the meaning of Ladybird.
Life cycle
The life cycle of a dragonfly consists of three phases: egg, larva and adult.
Eggs are deposited by adult dragonflies in places close to rivers and lakes, directly in water or in substrates close to streams.
The larval period is the longest and can last up to 5 years, depending on the species. The adult stage is short, lasting between 3 and 6 months.
Adult dragonfly emerging from its exoskeleton after its last stage as a larva.
food
During the larval stage, they breathe through gills and feed on amphibians and fish. Its lip is hooked to make it easier to catch prey.
In this phase, they don't usually move to capture, they wait for the prey to approach.
In adulthood, dragonflies feed on other insects they capture during flight, such as bees, flies and beetles. They are important in biological control of mosquitoes, including the aedes aegypti, transmitter of dengue and urban yellow fever.
See also the meaning of butterfly.
reproduction
The adult stage is the shortest in the dragonfly's life cycle, so when it reaches this stage, it is in a hurry to mate.
Males fight for territories to get a female to mate. Before copulation, the male transfers the sperm to the outermost genitalia and when he finds a female, he grabs her by the chest or head and keeps her trapped for copulation.
During mating, the male and female bodies resemble a heart shape.
Dragonfly mating.
Even after copulation, eggs may not be fertilized. That's because the female can mate with other males after mating. And the male, before copulation, removes from the female all the sperm of another male to guarantee the perpetuation of his genes.
Dragonfly Symbols
Dragonflies are insects loaded with symbolism for different peoples. Due to their mutation process, they are related to changes, transformations and adaptability.
In some countries, such as Japan, the dragonfly is associated with happiness, courage and prosperity. In America, the insect means renewal in times of difficulty.
But the dragonfly is also associated with negative meanings. The Swedes, for example, believed that the devil used dragonflies to weigh people's souls. In China, the insect symbolizes inconstancy.
See also the meaning of predator and metamorphosis.
