Dragonflies are fascinating insects that, because of their striking colors and their elegance when flying, are attractive to many people. They are harmless to humans and in addition, many of them are beneficial since they feed on insects capable of forming pests.
Difference between dragonfly and damselfly
Although we often talk about dragonflies in general, the truth is that within this fascinating group that are the odonates there are two suborders: Anisoptera (dragonflies) and Zygoptera (damselflies). In addition to the fact that dragonflies are usually larger, one of the most visible differences is in the wings: in dragonflies the rear pair of wings is larger than the front pair, while in horsemen the two pairs of wings are of the Same size. In addition, the latter fold their wings against the abdomen when perching, while dragonflies do not. On the other hand, dragonflies’ eyes are larger than damselflies and are closer together.
Odonates are amphibian insects, and this means that they develop part of their life cycle in water (when they are larvae), while they carry out adult life in air or water. They are all hunters, and as we have already mentioned, their main prey are other insects, although some large larvae can feed on tadpoles or even small fish.
Odonates have a very peculiar mode of reproduction, with indirect insemination and delayed fertilization, for which the male transfers the sperm from the end of his abdomen, where he produces it, to an area located at the base of the same that is called secondary genitalia. , from where the female is often inseminated (other times the eggs are fertilized at the time of laying). In this way , spectacular behaviors are observed, such as the heart-shaped ‘copulatory wheel’ or the flights of the males over the female to monitor the moment of laying and prevent other rivals from fertilizing the eggs first.
The life of dragonflies and damselflies is strongly linked to wetlands: ponds, ponds, lagoons, rivers … any of these places is good for observing odonata, although the degradation of these habitats as a result of human activity is also causing that some species of dragonflies and damselflies are more threatened today than ever.
(Much of the information on dragonflies and damselflies in this gallery has been obtained from the Ediciones Omega Field Guide to Dragonflies in Spain and Europe)
