Types of dragonflies: photos and names in Russia and the world. Lyutka dryad

Dragonflies are the oldest insect predators: the remains of their distant ancestors discovered by archaeologists date back to the Carboniferous period (350-300 million years ago). However, many years of evolution have had virtually no effect on the appearance of dragonflies, so these creatures are classified as primitive. To date, scientists have discovered and classified more than 5,000 species of these insects. But the species of dragonflies that can be observed in the European part of Russia are very few in number: there are no more than a hundred of them. These insects prefer tropical climates, so the vast majority of them inhabit the humid forests of South America and Southeast Asia. Dragonflies are not found in regions with arid climates.

Dragonflies arthropods

Superclass: Insects (Insecta) Class: Open-jawed (Ectognatha) Order: Dragonflies (Odonata)

Dragonflies are the fastest flying insects in the world. At short distances, their flight speed can exceed 100 km/h. These predatory insects are extremely voracious - in a day they eat a volume of food many times greater than their own weight. The unique huge eyes of dragonflies consist of 20-30 thousand ocelli, or facets, and provide the insects with almost complete all-round visibility.

Currently, about 5,000 species of dragonflies are known. They live mainly in the tropics and subtropics. About 170 species are known in Russia. The problem of flutter - vibration of wings in flight, which at the dawn of aviation caused the death of more than one aircraft, was solved by dragonflies millions of years ago. A slight thickening of the wing, called the pterostigma or “marginal eye,” reliably eliminates all unwanted wing vibrations.

Brilliant beauty

Adult dragonflies are graceful and fairly large insects with a spindle-shaped, often brightly colored body, a large rounded head and long mesh wings. They can move independently of each other and significantly increase their flight speed. The long and light abdomen serves as a rudder for the dragonfly - it helps to maintain direction. The legs of dragonflies are poorly developed and are not adapted for walking.

Dragonflies are active predators and prefer open spaces. They catch their prey - flies, mosquitoes, midges, sawflies - and eat them in flight, tearing them apart with sharp mandibles. Dragonflies are most active during the day, during the hottest hours; in good weather, flight begins after sunrise and ends at sunset. Most often they can be found along the banks of reservoirs, forest edges, along forest roads and clearings. After mating, which occurs in the air, the fertilized female lays eggs either directly into the water or into underwater or above-water parts of plants. The eggs hatch into larvae that develop mostly in shallow bodies of water.

Structure of a dragonfly

The larvae are completely different from adults, but also lead a predatory lifestyle, feeding on aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles and even fish fry. In larvae, the lower lip is transformed into a kind of hunting organ - a mask with hooks. Approaching the victim, the larva folds its mask forward, and the hooks dig into the victim. The larvae are unusually voracious predators - they eat aquatic invertebrates, and large larvae even attack tadpoles and fish fry. The development of a dragonfly larva lasts 1–3 years, sometimes longer. Before flying, it rises from the water along the stems of plants and is gradually freed from the skin. First, young adult dragonflies dry their delicate wings in the sun and then take to the air.

Dragonflies are a good indicator of the cleanliness of water bodies. They cannot thrive in polluted water, and therefore you will rarely see them on the banks of urban rivers. Dragonflies are grouped into two large groups: homoptera and heteroptera. Among the small-sized and graceful homoptera dragonflies, the most famous are representatives of the families Krasotki with blue or green wings, Lyutki, and Strelka. The span of large heteropterous dragonflies can reach 10–12 cm; these are species of the families Rocker, Dedki, Grandmothers, Watchers, and True dragonflies.

In some eastern countries, larvae and adults of dragonflies are quite a common dish. Don’t be surprised if you are lucky enough to find a similar treat at one of the local markets

Interesting fact

Despite the fact that dragonflies are formidable predators, they themselves are often prey to large animals such as frogs, lizards and birds. For the latter, such a diet is fraught with considerable danger: after all, dragonflies act as carriers of a parasitic disease - prostagonymosis. Its causative agents are flatworms, which, when ingested by a bird, make it incapable of laying and incubating eggs: the shell becomes too fragile or does not develop at all.

Master of the Pack

This large flying creature, similar to a stingray, is used by the Swarm for aerial siege. The owners of the pack, participating only in large battles, are capable of spitting out symbionts that serve as living weapons. Once outside the host's body, they pounce on the target and either devour it or die in the attempt. This method of attack makes the owner of the pack extremely dangerous for enemy buildings. However, for all their offensive power, the swarm masters are not very durable and become easy prey for most air forces.

Legacy of the Void

Heart of the Swarm

Wings of Liberty Data

Examples of dragonfly species

Lute family (Lestidae)

Medium-sized slender dragonflies with slow flight.

When sitting on plants, they spread their wings to the sides and move them back, so that the wings are located at an angle to the body. Only a few species fold their wings along their abdomen. The color is usually green or bronze, with a metallic tint. The larvae colonize bodies of water with stagnant water, even those that dry up by the end of summer.

Dull lute (Sympycna fusca)

Males and females are colored the same. The body is mostly brownish-bronze, with a wide bronze stripe on the chest. The ends of the wings are slightly pointed. Body length up to 35 mm, wingspan up to 45 mm.

Adult dragonflies of the new generation fly near water bodies from late June to October. They then spend the winter and meet again in the spring.

The total lifespan of dragonflies is up to 10 months. Lutki fly poorly and therefore most often sit on coastal plants. Females lay up to 350 eggs, placing them in dead tissues of sedge, reed, reeds and other plants directly at the surface of the water, both in above-water and underwater parts, less often they lay eggs in living plant tissues.

The larvae are slender, very mobile, and develop in ponds, ditches and other standing bodies of water. They live among aquatic vegetation.

Larval development is completed in 8-10 weeks.

Lute dryad (Lestes dryas)

Males and females are colored the same.

The body is bronze-green above, the chest on the sides below is yellowish, with stripes. The edges of the wings are brown. Body length up to 40 mm, wingspan up to 50 mm.

Adult dragonflies fly near water bodies from late June to September.

The benefits and harms of dragonflies for humans

Dragonflies bring both harm and benefit. They eat harmful insects, for example, they eat the Tsetse fly, which is deadly to humans. In addition, they themselves are food for birds and some amphibians.

But the immoderate appetite of naiads and adult dragonflies leads to the fact that some insects disappear from the face of the earth altogether. And also the eating of fish fry by naiads leads to the disappearance of some species of fish.

Ecological and biological characteristics of dragonflies, species

Eggs are laid in the tissue of aquatic plants. Often up to 50-70 eggs are laid on one plant, which are placed in a straight line up to 40 cm long. In autumn, these plants die and, together with the laid eggs, fall into the water.

The larvae emerge from the eggs in the spring. The development of larvae is completed in 8 - 10 weeks.

Beauties (Calopterygidae)

The beauties are perhaps truly the most beautiful dragonflies. Males differ from females by darkened wings. These dragonflies are very rare in the Baikal region and deserve protection.

Splendid beauty (Calopteryx splendens)

Lutki (Lestidae)

The lute family (Lestidae) includes small homoptera dragonflies, but with a long pterostigma.

Near any stagnant bodies of water, the dryad lute (Lestes dryas) is very common. A similar species, the bride lute (L. sponsa), differs reliably only in the structure of the genital appendages. Females are lighter in color.

Lute dryad (Lestes dryas)

Small, poorly flying lute and arrowheads feed on mosquitoes and other small insects.

They themselves can become victims of large dragonflies, birds, or even insectivorous plants, like this lute that fell into the clutches of the English sundew.

Among the aquatic thickets, graceful nymphs of lute (Lestes) are found in large numbers. Their thin body bears three tail leaves at the end. When nymphs swim by bending their long body from side to side, the vertical tail leaves act as a fin.

They are easily broken off, or even discarded by the larva, like a lizard's tail. Without them, animals move awkwardly and slowly until the next molt, when the tail leaves are restored. Lying nymphs are very dangerous for any small living creatures - crustaceans, worms, insect larvae and for their younger brothers.

Rocker (Aeschnidae)

Our largest dragonflies belong to the rocker flies (Aeschnidae).

One of the common species in the Baikal region is the blue rocker (Aeschna juncea), with a body length of up to 70 mm and a wingspan of up to 95 mm. Males are brighter, with a predominance of blue coloring, especially on the abdomen.

In females, green and yellowish tones predominate. These are excellent flyers, capable of traveling tens and even hundreds of kilometers, settling in new bodies of water. Sometimes it is possible to observe the process of a dragonfly emerging from a larva, which for this purpose climbs out of the water onto protruding parts of plants. The wings of a young dragonfly are still fragile, cloudy, and the covers are pale colored. But within an hour after hatching, the dragonfly is ready to fly.

Rocker (Aeschnidae)

In calm weather, in the water you can distinguish a large, slender nymph of the rocker dragonfly (Aeschna), which slowly crawls among aquatic plants with its legs or sits on stones, tracking prey with the help of large compound eyes.

If disturbed, the nymph forcefully throws out a stream of water from the hindgut and quickly moves forward. In reservoirs, the rocker larva is a real thunderstorm for all inhabitants. It feeds on everything it can handle, even fish fry.

ORDER DRAGONFLY (ODONATA) in Mamaev B.M., Medvedev L.N., Pravdin F.N. Key to insects of the European part of the USSR.
M.: Education, 1976. P. 30-42 Large or medium-sized insects with a large movable head, gnawing mouthparts and a very long narrow abdomen. Most of the head is occupied by large, complex eyes; 3 simple ocelli. Antennae very short, setae-like, 3-7-segmented. The prothorax is small, the mesothorax and metathorax are highly developed. The legs are long but weak. The wings are reticulated and well developed. In some dragonflies, both pairs of wings are identical in shape (suborder Zygoptera), in others the hind wings in the main part are noticeably wider than the front ones (suborder Anisoptera). When identifying dragonflies, the following features of the wing structure are important (Fig. 18 and 19). The subcostal vein (Sc) runs parallel to the costal vein (C) and ends at a thick transverse vein - a node (n), connecting the costal vein (C) and the radial trunk of the veins (R). The middle field abuts a thick transverse vein - the arch (ar). At the base of the wing, between the medial (M) and cubital (Cu) trunks of the veins, there is a field, which in homoptera is called the wing quadrangle (q), and in heteroptera the wing triangle (tr). In the anal part of the wing, some species of dragonflies have an anal triangle (atr). The crossveins located between C and R, the wing base and the node are called prenodular (t). The abdomen is thin, consists of 11 segments; at the end of the abdomen there are anal appendages; males have two pairs, females have one. To characterize the size of dragonflies, 2 indicators are given: the length of the abdomen and the length of the hind wing. Dragonflies lead a predatory lifestyle; grabbing prey on the fly, they exterminate mosquitoes and other harmful insects.

Rice. 18. Wings of a male blue rocker dragonfly (Aeschna juncea): C - costal vein; Sc—subcostal vein; B - radial trunk; M - medial trunk; Cu - cubital trunk; n - nodule; ar - bow; tr—wing triangle; atr - anal triangle.

Identification table for families 1 (6) Both pairs of wings are identical in shape. The abdomen is very thin (Pl. I, 7). The space between the eyes is wider than one eye. 2(3) The wings are dark-colored, their base is unstalked. The male does not have a wing ocellus, the female has a light spot in its place (false ocellus ocellus ). The wing ocellus is always present. 4(5) Body usually bronze-green. The wing ocellus is relatively long, equal to 2 cells in length Family Lütki (Lestidae) (p. 34) 5(4) The body is not bronze-green. The wing ocellus is relatively short, 1 cell long. Family Arrows (Coenagrionidae) (p. 35) 6(1) The hind wings are noticeably wider at the base than the fore wings. The abdomen, at least at the base, is quite wide (Pl. I, 12). The space between the eyes is narrower than one eye, or the eyes touch. 7(12) Wing triangles on all wings are located the same way - elongated along the length of the wing (Fig. 18). 8(9) Eyes not touching Grandfather Family (Gomphidae) (p. 37) 9(8) Eyes at least partially touching. 10(11) Eyes touch only at one point Family Cordulegasteridae One genus Cordulegaster Leach with one species - Cordulegaster ringed (C. annulatus Latr.) (Table 1,13). The body is black, with bright yellow stripes on the chest, the abdomen is in bright yellow rings. Abdomen 54-65 mm, hind wing 41-46 mm. 11(10) Eyes touch for some distance. The color is different Family Rocker (Aeschnidae) (p. 38) 12(7) The wing triangles are located unequally: on the front wings they are extended across the wing, on the hind wings - along the wing (Fig. 19, 2). 13(14) Posterior edge of the eye with a semicircular protrusion in the middle. The body usually has a metallic sheen Family Grandmother (Corduliidae) (p. 40) 14(13) The posterior edge of the eye without a protrusion in the middle. Body without metallic sheen Family True dragonflies (Libellulidae) (p. 40)

Rice. 19. Details of the structure of dragonfly wings: 1 - front wing of the female dryad lute (Lestes dryas); 2 — wings of the lattice dragonfly (Orthetrum cancellatum); 3 — apex of the hind wing of the white-haired rocker (Brachytron pretense); 4 — rear wing of the watchman-overlord (Anax imperator); Rn—lower branch of the radial trunk; t—prenodular veins; n - nodule; tr—wing triangle, q—wing quadrangle; pt—wing eye.

↑ Family of Beauty (Calopterygidae) Medium-sized homoptera dragonflies. The wings are dark-colored, unstalked at the base. The male does not have a wing eye. One genus is Beauty (Calopteryx Leach) with 2 species. Key to the species of the genus Beauty (Calopteryx Leach) 1 (2) The wings of the male are dark blue from the base and almost to the apex, the wings of the female are light smoky, with brown veins, only the costal vein is metallic shiny, green. The body of the male is metallic shiny, green-blue or blue, the body of the female is bronze-green. Abdomen 34-36 mm, hind wing 30-31 mm. Beauty-girl (C. virgo L.) 2(1) In the male, the base and apex of the wing are colorless, the middle of the wing has a wide blue or dark blue band; the female's wings are almost colorless, with metallic shiny green cross veins. The body of the male is metallic shiny, blue, the body of the female is golden-green. Abdomen 34-36 mm, hind wing 30-31 mm. Brilliant beauty (C. splendens Harr.) (Table 1, 7) ↑ Family Lestidae Small homoptera dragonflies. The wings are transparent, stalked at the base. The wing ocellus is equal in length to two cells (Fig. 19, 1). The body is usually bronze-green. 2 genera, 8 species. Key to genera and species 1(2) The abdomen is entirely bronze-green on top, the front of the chest is entirely bronze or only with narrow light stripes. Genus Lyutka (Lestes Leach) (p. 34) 2(1) The abdomen is brown with bronze spots, the chest has a wide bronze stripe on the sides, the spot in its anterior part is limited by a straight or slightly concave line. Abdomen 27-30 mm, hind wing 18-21 mm Genus Sympycma V auer ., Red Lute (S. fusca V. d. Lind.)

Genus Lyutka (Lestes Leach). 1(4) Yellow spots on the back of the head. 2(3) The wing ocellus is single-colored, reddish-brown. Abdomen 24-31 mm, hind wing 17-23 mm. Greenish lute (L. virens Charp.) 3(2) The wing ocellus is two-colored, reddish at the base, white at the apex. Abdomen 27-35 mm, hind wing 20-25 mm. Foreign lute (L. barbarus F.) 4(1) There are no yellow spots on the back of the head. 5(6) The wing ocellus is wide, its width is not less than 1/3 of its length. The color of the body is bronze-green on top, the sides and bottom of the chest are yellowish, the bottom of the chest is striped. Abdomen 26-35 mm, hind wing 19-26 mm Dryad lute (L. dryas Kirby) (Pl. I, 6(5) The wing ocellus is narrow, its width is less than 1/3 of the length. The color is the same as the previous species, but somewhat lighter Abdomen 25-30 mm, hind wing 18-22 mm Bride Lute (L. sponsa Hans.)

↑ Arrow family (Coenagrionidae) Small homoptera dragonflies. The wings are transparent, stalked at the base. The wing ocellus is equal in length to one cell. 5 genera, 12 species.

Key to genera and species 1(10) The tibia is not widened. The hairs on the legs are short. 2(3) Forehead with a sharp transverse edge (look in profile!). The wings at rest do not extend to the 5th abdominal segment. The chest and abdomen are green, with a metallic sheen. Abdomen 19-22 mm, hind wing 11.5-16 mm. Genus Nehalennia Selys , Nehalennia beautiful (N. speciosa Charp.) 3(2) The forehead is rounded. The wings extend beyond the 5th abdominal segment. 4(9) There are two light spots on the back of the head. 5(6) Nuchal spots rounded. The male wing ocellus is two-colored: black at the base, light towards the apex. In both ioles, the 8th abdominal segment is blue, the 9th is black. The posterior edge of the meso-dorsum is strongly raised in the middle and sticks out in the form of a scallop. Abdomen 24-25 mm, hind wing 16-18 mm Genus Ischnura Charp., Arrow graceful (I. elegans V. d. Lind.) 6(5) Nuchal spots wedge-shaped. The wing ocellus of the male is single-colored. 7(8) The posterior edge of the pronotum is evenly rounded. The 8th segment of the female's abdomen has a sharp spine at the bottom. The dark pattern of the 2nd abdominal segment of the male from above consists of only one T-shaped spot with rounded sides (Fig. 20, 1). The male is blue, with a black pattern. The female is light reddish or brownish, with a black pattern. Abdomen 22-28 ml, hind wing 18-21 mm. Genus Enallagma Selys , Blue Arrow (E. cyathigerum Charp.) 8(7) The posterior margin of the pronotum is triangular or divided into lobes. The 8th segment of the female's abdomen is without a spine from below. The dark pattern on the upper side of the 2nd abdominal segment is different in the male (Fig. 20, 2-8). The male is blue, with a black pattern. The female is bluish or greenish-yellow, with a black pattern. Genus True Arrow (Coenagrion Kirby) (p. 36) 9(4) The back of the head without light spots. Most of the abdomen is bright red. Abdomen 25-27 mm, hind wing 21-23 mm. Genus Pyrrhosoma Charp. , Nymphal firefly (P. nymphula Sulz.) 10(1) The tibiae of the middle and hind legs are noticeably widened (Fig. 21, 1), white or blue, with a black longitudinal outer stripe. The hairs on the legs are long, much longer than the gap between the bases of two adjacent hairs. The male is blue with black stripes on the head and abdomen, the chest is black with blue stripes. The female has the same pattern, but the blue color is replaced by greenish. Abdomen 27-29 mm, hind wing 20-24 mm. Genus Platycnemis Charp. , Common flatfoot (P. pennipes Pall.) Genus Arrow (Coenagrion Kirby). 1(2) Abdomen on the sides, starting from the 3rd segment, with a wide longitudinal black stripe. The chest is black below. The dark pattern of the 2nd abdominal segment of the male from above consists of a T-shaped spot and two lateral strongly curved spots (Fig. 20, 2). Abdomen 20-23 mm, hind wing 15-18 mm Slender frog (C. concinnum Joh.) 2(1) There is no longitudinal black stripe on the sides of the abdomen. The bottom of the chest is not black. The dark pattern on the upper side of the 2nd abdominal segment of the male is different (Fig. 20, 3-8). 3(8) The posterior edge of the pronotum of the male is extended backward in the middle (Fig. 21, 2-4). The male's face and eyes are green or yellowish-green. 4(5) The posterior edge of the pronotum is rounded, in the female it projects far back and sticks up (Fig. 21, 2, 7). Abdomen 24-26 mm, hind wing 17-19 mm Arrow armed (C. armatum Charp.) 5(4) Posterior margin of pronotum in the middle with a rectangular or obtuse projection. The middle part of the posterior edge of the pronotum does not project upward in both sexes (Fig. 21, 3, 4, 8, 9). 6(7) Posterior margin of pronotum in the middle with an almost rectangular projection (Fig. 21, 3). Abdomen 23-26 mm, hind wing 16-19 mm Spring arrow (C. lunulatum Charp.) 7(6) The posterior edge of the pronotum in the middle forms an almost obtuse angle of projection (Fig. 21, 4). Abdomen 28-30 mm, hind wing 17-22 mm Spearhead (C. hastulatum Charp.) (Table I, 9) 8(3) Posterior edge of the male pronotum with 3 approximately equally developed lobes (Fig. 21, 5, 6 ). The male's face and eyes are blue or blue. 9(10) Dark stripe on the 3rd-4th segments of the male’s abdomen from above with a long median process (Fig. 20, 6). Abdomen 20-27 mm, hind wing 18-20 mm. Decorated arrow (C. omatum Selys) 10(9) Dark stripe on the 3rd-4th segments of the male’s abdomen from above with long lateral points (Fig. 20, 7, 8) . The male is blue, with a black pattern, the female is bluish or greenish-yellow, with a black pattern. 11(12) Posterior margin of pronotum with 3 weakly separated lobes (Fig. 21, 5). Abdomen 23-31 mm, hind wing 16-22 mm. Arrow-girl (C. puella L.) 12(11) Posterior margin of pronotum with 3 well-separated lobes (Fig. 21, 6). Abdomen 25-30 mm, hind wing 16-21 mm. Beautiful arrow (C. pulchellum V. d. Lind.)

Rice. 20. Figure on the first four abdominal segments of male dragonflies from above: 1 - blue arrow (Enallagma cyathigerum); 2 — slender arrow (Coenagrion concinnum); 8 - armed arrow (C. armatum); 4 - spring arrow (C. lunulatum); 5 — spear-shaped arrow (C. hastulatum); 6 - decorated arrow (C. ornatum); 7 — arrow-girl (C. puella); 8 - beautiful arrow (C. pulchellum).

Rice. 21. Details of the structure of dragonflies: 1 - middle leg of the male common platypod (Platycnemis pennipes); 2-6 pronotum of male from above: 2 - armed arrow (Coenagrion armatum), 3 - spring arrow (C. lunulatum), 4 - horse arrow (C. hastulatum), 5 - maiden arrow (C. puella), 6 - arrow beautiful (C. pulchellum); 7-9 pronotum of female from the side: 7 - armed arrow (C. armatum), 8 - spring arrow (C. lunulatum), 9 - spear arrow (C. hastulatum).

↑ Family Dedki (Gomphidae) Medium-sized dragonflies. Eyes don't touch. The hind wings are noticeably wider at the base than the fore wings. The abdomen is wide at the base. The wing triangles on all wings are elongated along their length. 3 genera, 4 species. Key to genera and species 1(4) On the hind wing, under the wing triangle, there is a section limited by a semicircular vein and consisting of 2-3 cells; 2 transverse veins extend from it, resting on the edge of the wing (Fig. 22, /). 2(3) The anal appendages of the male are longer than the 10th abdominal segment and form three-toothed pincers. The edge of the back of the head of the female is without outgrowths, the back side of the head behind the eyes is dark. Abdomen 31-38 mm, hind wing 25-35 mm Genus Onychogomphus Selys , Grandfather caudate (O. forcipatus L.) (Table I, 17) 3(2) The anal appendages of the male are no longer than the 10th abdominal segment. The edge of the back of the head in the female has 2 outgrowths, the back of the head behind the eyes has light spots. The head and chest are yellow-green, with black stripes; the abdomen is black, with yellow spots. Abdomen 37-39 mm, hind wing 30-35 mm. Genus Ophiogomphus Selys , Horned Grandfather (O. serpentinus Charp.) 4(1) On the hind wing under the wing triangle there is no area limited by a semicircular vein; the cross veins extend directly from the anal vein or from the internal triangle (Fig. 22, 2). The abdomen is black, with a yellow stripe from the 1st to the 7th segment Genus Gomphus Leach (p. 38) Genus Gomphus Leach. 1(2) Legs black. Abdomen 33-37 mm, hind wing 30-34 mm Common damsel (G. vulgatissimus L.) (Pl. I, 18) 2(1) Legs mostly yellow. Abdomen 37-40 mm, hind wing 30-34 mm

Rice. 22. Details of the structure of dragonflies 1,2. The main part of the rear wing. 1 Horned grandfather (Onychogomphus serpentinus) .2 Common grandfather (Gomphus vulgatissimus); 3 — base of the fore wing of the black dragonfly (Sympetrum danae): t — prenodal veins; n - nodule; tr - wing triangle.

↑ Rocker family (Aeschnidae) Large variegated dragonflies; The abdominal pattern consists of many spots. The eyes touch for some distance. The front and rear wings are of different shapes. Wing triangles are elongated along the length of the wings. 3 genera, 8 species. Key to genera and species 1(2) On the hind wing, between the lower branch of the radial trunk and the underlying longitudinal vein, there is only 1 row of cells (Fig. 19, 8). Forehead with T-shaped black streak. Body covered with dense white hairs. The abdomen is black and brown, the male has blue spots, the female has yellow spots. Abdomen 38-40 mm, hind wing 34-37 mm Genus Brachytron Evans, White-haired rocker (B. hafniense Mull.) (Pl. I, 19, 20) 2(1) On the hind wing between the lower branch of the radial trunk and the underlying one the longitudinal vein contains several rows of cells (Fig. 19, 4). 3(4) The spines on the outer side of the hind legs are much longer than on the inside. Breast green; The male's abdomen is light blue, with a wide black longitudinal stripe notched along the edges on top; The female has a green abdomen with a brown stripe. Abdomen 49-61 mm, hind wing 45-51 mm Genus Anax Leach , Overlord Watcher (A. imperator Leach) (Table I, 14) 4(3) Spines on both sides of the hind legs of almost the same length. Genus Koromyslo present (Aeschna F.) (p. 39)

Genus Koromyslo present (Aeschna F.). 1(6) The spot on the forehead is sharp, black, T-shaped or in the form of a transverse line. 2(3) A spot on the forehead in the form of a transverse line. The sides of the chest are solid green, without black stripes at the seams. Abdomen 47-54 mm, hind wing 38-45 mm. Green rocker (Ae. viridis Evans) 3(2) T-shaped spot on forehead. The sides of the chest are not entirely green. 4 (5) The anal triangle on the hind wing of the Samon consists of 3 cells. The 3rd abdominal segment of the female is completely or almost not narrowed. Prothorax with 2 yellow or green spots. The male's abdomen is green on top and has blue spots on the sides; the female has all these spots green. Abdomen 51-60 mm, hind wing 43-51 mm Blue rocker (Ae. cyanea Mull.) (Table I, 15, 16) 5(4) The anal triangle on the hind wing of the male consists of 2 cells (Fig. 18). The 3rd abdominal segment in the female is narrowed as much as in the male. The chest is brown, with 2 sharp but narrow yellow stripes on the sides (sometimes unclear in females). Abdomen with blue (male) or yellow (female) spots. Abdomen 53-59 mm, hind wing 41-47 mm. Blue rocker (Ae. juncia L.) (Table 1, 21, 22) 6(1) The spot on the forehead is T-shaped, pale brown, very unclear, or absent at all. 7(8) Wings brownish with red veins. The anal triangle on the hind wings of the male consists of 2 cells. Chest on top with four blue spots between the bases of the wings. The legs are completely red. Abdomen 49-60 mm, hind wing 45-49 mm Large yoke (Ae. grandis L.) (Pl. I, 23, 24) 8(7) Wings with blackish veins. The anal triangle on the hind wings of the male consists of 3 cells. The chest is without blue spots between the bases of the wings. The thighs are red, the tibiae and tarsi are black. Abdomen 47-51 mm, hind wing 39-42 mm Reddish rocker (Ae. isosceles Mull.) ↑ Grandmother family (Corduliidae) Medium-sized dragonflies, rarely large. The eyes touch, the posterior edge of the eye with a semicircular protrusion in the middle. The front and rear wings are of different shapes. The wing triangles are unequally located; on the front wings they are extended across the wing, on the hind wings - along the wing. The body mostly has a metallic sheen. There is no ovipositor. When laying eggs, the female hits the water with the end of her abdomen. 3 genera, 5 species.

Key to genera and species 1(2) The body is yellow-brown, without a metallic tint. The base of the hind wings has a large black spot. The leading edge of all wings is intense yellow. The abdomen is flattened, black-brown above, with large lateral yellow spots or stripes (in the female). Abdomen 39-43 mm, hind wing 38-43 mm Genus Epitheca Charp ., Grandmother two-spotted (E. bimaculata Charp.) 2(1) Body metallic shiny, green, partly bronze. The base of the hind wing is transparent and without a black spot. 3(4) The forehead is metallic shiny, green, without light spots. Abdomen 34-39 mm, hind wing 31-36 mm Genus Cordulia Leach Bronze grandmother (C. aenea L.) 4(3) Frontal forehead with a yellow pattern Genus Greenfinch grandmother (Somatochlora Selys) (p. 40)

Genus Greenfinch (Somatochlora selys). 1(2) In the front part of the forehead there is a solid yellow transverse band. The abdomen is entirely metallic shiny and green. Abdomen 37-40 mm, hind wing 34 -36 mm Metal pastern (S. metallica V. d. Lind.) 2(1) There are only 2 yellow spots on the forehead, in the corner near the eyes. There is a yellow-orange spot on the sides of the 4th-8th abdominal segments. Abdomen 34-40 mm, hind wing 32-38 mm. Yellow-spotted grandma (S. flavomaculata V. d. Lind.) ↑ Family True dragonflies (Libellulidae) Medium-sized homoptera dragonflies. The eyes touch, their posterior edge without a semicircular protrusion in the middle. The front and rear wings are of different shapes. The wing triangle on the front wing is extended across the wing, on the hind wing - along the wing. Body without metallic sheen. There is no ovipositor; eggs are laid by striking the end of the abdomen above the water. 4 genera, 12 species. Key to genera and species 1(4) The fore wings have at least 12 prenodular cross-veins (Fig. 19, 2). 2(3) On all wings the base is without a dark spot. All longitudinal veins coming from the arch begin with a common stalk. The wing ocellus is black (Fig. 19, 2). The abdomen of the female and young male is olive-yellow, with wide longitudinal dark-brown stripes, light crescent spots; in a fully mature male, the chest and abdomen are covered with a bluish coating. Abdomen 29-35 mm, hind wing 35-41 mm Genus Orthetrum Newman Lattice dragonfly (O. cancellatum L.) 3(2) At least hind wings with a dark spot at the base. All longitudinal veins coming from the arch begin separately, although they are very close together Genus Dragonfly (Libellula L.) (p. 41) 4(1) On the fore wings there are less than 12 prenodular transverse veins (Fig. 22, 3). 5(6) Base of the hind wings without a dark spot Genus Stonefly Dragonfly (Sympetrum Newm.) (p. 41) 6(5) Base of the hind wings with a dark spot Genus White-nosed Dragonfly (Leucorrhinia Britt.) (p. 42)

Genus Dragonfly (Libellula L.). 1(2) The lower lip is yellow in the middle. The abdomen is short, very wide, flattened, reddish-brown, with yellow spots on the sides of the middle segments, in an adult male with a bluish coating. All wings have a large dark brown spot at the base. Abdomen 22-28 mm, hind wing 33-37 mm Flat dragonfly (L. depressa L.) (Pl. I, 12) 2(1) The lower lip is black in the middle. The abdomen is not very short and wide, not too flat, ridged. The hind wings have a large dark spot at the base, the front wings have no spot, or it is small. 3(4) All wings with a dark spot in the area of the node. The lower lip is yellow along the edges. The body is yellow-brown, the end of the abdomen is black, the 5th-8th abdominal segments have yellow spots on the sides. Abdomen 27-32 mm, hind wing 32-39 mm Four-spotted dragonfly (L. quadrimaculata L.) 4(3) There is no dark spot in the area of the node. The lower lip is all black. The body is reddish. The abdomen of an adult male has a blue or blue coating, with black stripes at the base and on the 8-10th segments; in females and young males the 4th-10th abdominal segments have black stripes. Abdomen 26-29 mm, hind wing 35-38 mm. Red dragonfly (L. fulva Mull.)

Genus Dragonfly (Sympetrum Newm.). 1(2) All wings with a wide dark band in front of the apex (Fig. 7, 3). The male's abdomen is red, the female's is yellow. Abdomen 18-23 mm, hind wing 21-27 mm. Banded dragonfly (S. pedemontanum All.) (Table 1,11) 2(1) Wings without dark band in front of the apex. 3(6) Tibia entirely black. 4(5) The underside and sides of the chest are black, with yellow spots and stripes. The abdomen of an adult male is black; that of a young male and female is brown, with a black longitudinal stripe on the sides. Abdomen 19-24 mm, hind wing 22-26 mm. Black dragonfly (S. danae Sulz.) 5(4) The sides of the chest are red or yellow, with 3 full black stripes at the seams. The abdomen of an adult male is blood-red above, black below with red spots; in the female and young male it is yellowish, with a whitish coating below. Abdomen 21-26 mm, hind wing 24-29 mm Blood dragonfly (S. sanguineum Mull.) 6(3) Tibia yellow or black, with a yellow stripe on the outer side. 7(8) All wings are buffy-yellow at the base. Abdomen 22-26 mm, hind wing 25-29 mm Yellow dragonfly (S. flaveolum L.) (Table I, 10) 8(7) There are no large ocher-yellow spots at the base of the wings. Abdomen 24-28 mm, hind wing 24-29 mm Common dragonfly (S. vulgatum L.)

Genus White-nosed Dragonfly (Leucorrhmia Britt.). 1(2) Abdominal segments 6-8 are greatly expanded. The wing ocellus of the male is white at the top, brown below, and brownish-black in the female. The front part of the male's abdomen has a bluish coating. Abdomen 23-24 mm, hind wing 29-32 mm Long-tailed dragonfly (L. caudalis Charp.) 2(1) Abdomen not widened on segments 6-8. The wing ocellus is black or brown at the top. 3(4) The lower lip is black in the middle, white on the sides. The abdomen is black, in the male on the 2-4th segments with a blue coating, in the female with reddish-black spots. Abdomen 24-27 mm, hind wing 28-31 mm White-fronted dragonfly (L. albifrons Burm.) 4(3) Lower lip completely black. 7th abdominal segment with a light dorsal spot. The abdomen of the male is without a blue coating. 5(6) Spot on the 7th abdominal segment of a bright lemon-yellow color, reaching the posterior edge; the remaining spots are orange-red. Abdomen 24-27 mm, hind wing 30-33 mm Swamp dragonfly (L. pectoralis Charp.) 6(5) The spot on the 7th segment is smaller, does not reach the posterior edge and is the same color as the other spots of the abdomen. 7(8) The costal vein from the base to the node and the node (at least in the upper part) are black. Abdomen 21-27 mm, hind wing 23-28 mm Dragonfly (L. dubia V. d. Lind.) 8(7) Costal vein from the base to the node and the entire node are whitish. Abdomen 23-28 mm, hind wing 27-31 mm Red dragonfly (L. rubicunda L.)

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Red Book of the Chelyabinsk region

Types of dragonflies: names and photos. Representatives of the order of dragonflies

Watchman - Anax imperator Leach

One of the largest species of dragonflies with powerful flight. The chest is green with wide black stripes at the seams. The wings are transparent, large (wing length 50 mm). The wing membrane is a contrasting gray-white color. Legs with long spines, with the help of which they fold into a catching “basket” for insects in flight. The abdomen of an adult male is blue; that of a female is green or bluish-green, with a solid black jagged longitudinal stripe on the dorsal side.

The eyes are large, faceted, blue-green in color.

Watchman - Anax imperator Leach

The species has an unusually wide range, crossing almost all natural zones of the Earth from the Scandinavian Peninsula to southern Africa, but in most areas within its range its distribution is local.

In Russia, the range is limited to the southern half of the European part.

Inhabits water bodies in both open and forest landscapes. The larvae develop in stagnant and low-flowing water bodies; their lifestyle is that of thicket ambush predators. The food spectrum of larvae is very wide and includes almost all small hydrobionts from cladoceran crustaceans to tadpoles and fish fry. The development cycle is 1-2 years, depending on the photoperiodic and temperature conditions of a particular habitat, as well as on the abundance and availability of food.

Emergence of adults from larvae in southern Russia at the end of May. The adult years last until mid-August. Adult dragonflies are active predators, pursuing prey in the air. They feed on a wide variety of flying insects, but the main diet is usually chironomids. There are large differences in the biotopic distribution of males and females: the former are more concentrated near water bodies, the latter are scattered over large areas, preferring forest edges, bushes, and forest belts.

During the reproductive period, males are characterized by territorial behavior - patrol flights within the individual territory, where mating and egg laying occur.

In Russia, population dynamics are steadily declining. The dispersion of adults from the breeding sites is wide; dragonflies in feeding stations can be found at a distance of 3-4 km from the nearest body of water.

Spring and summer pass - a celebration of life in central Russia. With the onset of autumn, all living things prepare for winter. Butterflies huddle in secluded places - tree hollows, under bark that has fallen off trunks, in the attics of houses.

But not all butterflies overwinter this way. There are species that can overwinter in the egg stage or in the caterpillar stage, and some in the pupa stage. Those species of butterflies that overwinter in the egg stage try to hide their eggs in places where they would be more comfortable.

Most wintering caterpillars burrow into the forest floor or, like butterflies, climb into the bark that has fallen away from tree trunks, into rotten stumps and other places.

Many butterfly caterpillars that overwinter in the pupal stage burrow into the ground and pupate there. And some pupate where their camouflage coloring is not noticeable.

Among representatives of the order Hymenoptera (wasps, bumblebees), fertilized females overwinter, huddled in the cracks of rotten stumps, under the trunks of fallen trees, which is where they can be found in winter.

The larvae of the golden bronze beetle overwinter in compost heaps.

The rotting compost releases heat, and the larvae survive safely until spring. Rhinoceros beetle larvae spend the winter in rotting sawdust.

Very often during the winter thaw you can meet representatives of the order Diptera - snow mosquitoes. These creatures appear in winter, when there are no enemies - predatory and parasitic insects.

We know that with the onset of cold weather, birds, united in flocks, fly to countries with a warm climate.

Butterflies also make such flights. For example, monarchs unite in flocks and fly for the winter from the northern states of the USA and Canada to Florida, Central America, Cuba, and the Bahamas.

There they spend the winter on certain trees, which are now under protection. In the spring, the butterflies travel again, this time to the north, where they lay eggs and die. One can only wonder how the young monarchs find their way to the winter, because their parents, who flew from the south, died.

With the biology club, we went out into the forest and looked for wintering insects. We found everything: caterpillars, small leaf beetles, longhorned beetle larvae, and bedbugs.

Sometimes small parasitic riders were found under the bark. They lay eggs on caterpillars. The larva emerges from the egg and feeds on the tissues of the caterpillar. First it eats the fat body, then the muscles and the circulatory system. The parasite, having completed its development, emerges from the skin remaining from the caterpillar and pupates on it, either on the surface of the earth or burrowing into the soil.

Fly

Representatives of the order Diptera - flies - also hibernate; they can often be seen between window frames.

Two-spot ladybugs also overwinter. In our museum of A.S. Pushkin in the western Moscow region there are a lot of these bugs every year. During the thaw, the bugs wake up and how joyful it is to see them - the harbingers of spring.

But it’s not easy for insects waking up in the winter thaw. They spend energy, but they have nothing to eat. So the prolonged winter thaw does not bode well for wintering insects.

Swimming beetle

Many insects and their larvae overwinter in water. For example, large beetles are fringed swimming beetles.

As a child, skating on the first, still thin ice, I often saw these beetles swimming under the ice.

Insects of the true dragonfly family

I was surprised then how they breathed. Now I know that swimming beetles breathe in winter by collecting bubbles of oxygen released by aquatic plants. There is another way to obtain oxygen from water. Between the elytra and the abdomen of the swimming beetle there is a cavity, and this is where the beetle collects oxygen bubbles. But a beetle can breathe with the help of a bubble only at low temperatures, when all its processes are slowed down and a large amount of oxygen is not required.

Dragonfly larva

Dragonflies and representatives of the order Diptera, mosquitoes, overwinter in the larval stage.

Dragonfly larvae have gills and breathe oxygen dissolved in water. The “bloodworms” known to fishermen—red worms—are the larvae of mosquitoes of the bell ringer family.

Bells live in bottom mud. “Bloodworms” can be small or large—these are mosquito larvae of different species.

Another example of wintering of dipterans is observed in the raspberry stem gall midge. This creature overwinters in the larval stage.

If you look closely at young raspberry shoots in winter, you can see swelling and growth of stem tissue. And by opening this incorrectly grown part of the stem, the so-called gall, you can see the orange larvae of the raspberry gall midge.

All hibernating insects have one goal during the wintering period - to survive in conditions of low temperatures.

Before wintering, insects undergo various processes of body restructuring. One of the important processes is the accumulation of glycerol.

All processes occurring during wintering require the presence of this substance.

In winter, the living tribe of insects disappears from our field of vision. Under the cover of snow, they are waiting for the hour of festive rebirth - the long-awaited spring.

A. L. Kalutsky, entomologist

Types of dragonflies: names and photos. Representatives of the order of dragonflies

Dragonflies are the oldest insect predators: the remains of their distant ancestors discovered by archaeologists date back to the Carboniferous period (350-300 million years ago).

years ago). However, many years of evolution have had virtually no effect on the appearance of dragonflies, so these creatures are classified as primitive.

To date, scientists have discovered and classified more than 5,000 species of these insects. But the species of dragonflies that can be observed in the European part of Russia are very few in number: there are no more than a hundred of them.

These insects prefer tropical climates, so the vast majority of them inhabit the humid forests of South America and Southeast Asia. Dragonflies are not found in regions with arid climates.

Description and features

Dragonflies are the most ancient and interesting creatures, whose distant ancestors, very similar to modern specimens in structure and appearance, lived on the planet more than three hundred million years ago, that is, during the Carboniferous period.

Since then, their descendants have undergone few progressive changes, and therefore are classified by modern scientists as primitive. But, despite this, these living creatures can rightfully be called unique.

This is manifested in everything: in the structure, in the way of feeding and hunting, in the peculiarities of life, in the tirelessness and speed of these creatures, as well as in their hidden capabilities, with which they still never cease to amaze researchers of the animal world of our grandiose planet.

Dragonfly is an insect belonging to the type of amphibionts, that is, living organisms that have successfully adapted to life in two environments: on land and in water, and therefore they are not found in countries with arid climates.

It is believed that dragonflies appeared before dinosaurs

Many varieties of dragonflies (and there are more than six thousand species in total) carry out their life activities in the tropical regions of Asia and South America, where they are especially widespread in humid forests.

In addition, they live on continents such as Australia and Africa, and are found in Turkey, Iran, Italy and other countries of the Eurasian continent with similar climates.

About a hundred varieties of these organisms have taken root well and exist in Russian spaces. In fact, they have adapted to life on all continents except Antarctica. They are also not found in Greenland and Iceland. You can admire this creature and see its unique perfection in the photo of a dragonfly .

Dragonflies flap their wings about 30 times per minute, so no buzzing sound is heard from them

Characteristic features of their appearance include:

a relatively large head, movably attached to the chest;
chest, built from three components (front, intermediate, back);
a thin long body of a streamlined shape, divided into 11 segments;
chitinous transparent wings (two pairs);
bright shiny elongated abdomen;
hard hairy paws (six pieces).

The coloring of these insects can be the most colorful and original: stand out in blue, green, blue, yellow shades, shimmer with mother-of-pearl, have darkening and spots. In nature you can also find a white (transparent) dragonfly .

The structure of the visual organs of this insect is noteworthy. First of all, these include huge size, occupying three quarters of the head, compound eyes. They are built from thirty thousand elements (facets), each of which can be considered as a separate organ, functioning independently of the others.

The facets are placed in rows, some of which distinguish the volume and shape of objects, and the other part of them perceives color waves of a very different spectrum, including ultraviolet.

The crown of these creatures is equipped with three more simple additional eyes, arranged in a triangle. All organs of vision together allow the dragonfly to view the surrounding space in a circle at all 360° and distinguish the objects it needs at a distance of eight meters or more.

But with all this, the other sensory organs of dragonflies are not sufficiently developed. Their sense of smell is limited. There is no hearing at all, only the antennae located at the base of the wings pick up some sound vibrations.

The unique structure of the eyes allows the dragonfly to view space at 360 degrees

Born predator

Without exception, all types of dragonflies (both nymphs and adults) feed on insects, often blood-sucking (horseflies, mosquitoes, midges). The dragonfly's body shape is ideal for hunting on the fly. These insects are “lean”, with a pronounced chest and elongated abdomen.

The head of a dragonfly is very mobile. There are two complex compound eyes on it, allowing the insect to see everything that happens around and behind, and between these two there are ordinary ones, which serve for orientation in space.

The organs of vision are designed in such a way that a dragonfly sees best against the sky. Therefore, she attacks the victim from below. The insect has a powerful mouth (“gnawing,” as scientists say), short antennae and stiff legs covered with hairs that help capture prey. Each representative of the order has two pairs of wings, which are equally well developed.

This means that it is a bimotor insect. Dragonflies can fly at speeds of over 55 km/h.

Homoptera

There are three suborders of dragonflies. The first of them is Homoptera. It includes graceful, light and, as a rule, small insects with a very elongated abdomen. Both pairs of wings are identical in size and shape; when at rest, the dragonfly folds them at the back so that they form an acute angle with the surface of the back. Homoptera fly slowly and smoothly.

Among them are such species of dragonflies as the graceful arrow, the beauty-girl and the dim lute. Homoptera nymphs living in water have a special respiratory organ located at the end of the abdomen - caudal gills.

Nutrition

Dragonflies are aggressive predators that pose a danger to many species of insects (mostly flying ones). They even attack those larger than them, and in most cases successfully. Interestingly, most species eat prey on the fly while in the air. They are very voracious, so they eat several dozen insects per day, the total weight of which significantly exceeds their own weight.

So, what do adult dragonflies eat:

mosquitoes;
flies;
midges;
beetles;
spiders;
moth;
dragonflies.

These insects can be divided into several categories according to their hunting method:

free upper tier predators - species that can fly high, lie in wait for prey at a height of 2 - 9 m above the ground;
free hunters of the middle tier - hunt at a height of 0.5 - 2 m above the ground, most often circling over bodies of water, only occasionally resting on the grass or plants sticking out of the water;
lying in wait hunters - sit in ambush on blades of grass or bushes, waiting for a prey flying past, and when they notice it, they suddenly take off and attack;
grazing predators - hunt in thickets of grass, flitting from place to place in search of prey, having caught it, they eat it while sitting on a plant.

Dragonfly larvae feed on fish fry, leeches, insect larvae, tadpoles, and small crustaceans.

Variopterans and Anisozygoptera

The second suborder is heteroptera. They have a powerful body, and the base of the hind wings is widened.

The eyes often touch. The flight speed of heteroptera is high. At rest, the wings of these dragonflies are spread apart. The larvae of dragonflies live in mud and breathe using rectal gills. It is worth mentioning some species of dragonflies belonging to heteroptera. This is an ordinary grandfather, a large rocker, a bronze headstock, and a blood dragonfly.

Representatives of the third suborder (Anisozygoptera) combine the characteristics of the first two, although in appearance they are closer to heteroptera.

Dragonflies (Odonata)

These dragonflies do not live in Russia.

Beauties

In general, the order of dragonflies stands out among other orders of insects for its aesthetic merits. And it’s basically impossible not to admire the representatives of the family of beauties. For example, beautiful girls are small (up to 5 cm long), thin even-winged dragonflies with a wingspan of no more than 7 cm. The body and wings of males are colored in blue, green, purple shades and have a metallic sheen.

In females, the body is colored, but the wings are not.

Beauties prefer the overgrown banks of quiet rivers and small streams. They lay eggs in the leaves of coastal plants; The larvae also try to stay close to the stems and roots. The flight of a beautiful girl resembles the flight of a butterfly.

Ground beetle Avinova

This beetle is a member of the ground beetle family, found in the mountainous regions of Sakhalin Island. It has a length of 20 or more centimeters. The back has a copper-red color, the elytra glow with a greenish-bronze hue.

The beetles are black below, and their sides have a metallic tint. These living creatures form a few clusters in mixed, spruce and fir forests, rich in thickets of tall grass.

This type of insect is poorly studied, and very little data can be found on these creatures. They are known to be predators, consuming various types of small invertebrates and molluscs.

The peak of insect reproduction occurs in early July, and in winter they fall into suspended animation, most often finding shelter during the frost period in rotten fir stumps.

The number of beetles is sharply declining, mainly due to the fact that they are becoming the object of close attention of collectors, and also the population size is negatively affected by human economic activity.

Arrows

Arrows are not as spectacular as beauties, but just as graceful dragonflies. The photo of the graceful arrow, posted below, confirms this fact.

Shooters lead the same lifestyle as beauties, except that they choose more modest prey.

And it is not surprising, because the body length of the graceful arrow is only 3.5 cm, while the wingspan is 4.5 cm. The male has an elongated blue chest with a longitudinal black stripe and a black abdomen, as if intercepted by thin blue rings. The wings are narrow and transparent. Some females have a similar coloration, others are rather inexpressively colored and have neither stripes nor rings.

Arrows fly slowly and rarely leave their homes. Their larvae live and hunt in the stems and roots of aquatic plants. Distinguishing one species from another within this family is not an easy task. But it is impossible to confuse them with another family of arrows.

Graceful arrow (Ischnura elegans Vd Lind.)

The length of the abdomen is 22-29 mm, the length of the wing is 14-21 mm. Males have a blue body with a black pattern, females come in two color morphs - blue and orange. The purple coloration of the chest of young females changes with age and becomes blue. The species is distributed throughout European Russia, even on the Kola Peninsula. They fly from June to the end of August. The larvae live in all types of fresh water bodies.

It is represented in Russia by the only species.

Real dragonflies

This family of the heteroptera suborder includes numerous species of dragonflies. Their names speak for themselves: swamp, flat, blood.

These insects are distinguished by a massive, wide and relatively short body, wings slightly shifted towards the head and the presence of dark spots at their base. The female true dragonfly lays eggs directly into the water of a pond or quiet river, and sometimes into coastal sand. Large nymphs of true dragonflies live in the mud. The flat dragonfly is a medium-sized insect.

The wingspan is 8 cm, the body length is 4.5 cm. Both females and males have a brownish-yellowish chest, but the male's abdomen is covered with bright blue pollen, while the female's abdomen is brown, with dark stripes on the sides. At the base of both pairs of wings there are dark triangles. The eyes are greenish.

Other representatives of the family are very noteworthy - blood dragonflies (photo below).

They are easily recognized by their bright body color - reddish-yellow, orange or brown-red.

These dragonflies are one of the latest. They are active from mid-summer until November. The transformation of blood dragonfly larvae into adults occurs in just a couple of months.

Reproduction

The male dragonfly has two copulatory organs. The primary one, in which the sperm is stored, and the secondary one, located on the abdominal side of the second segment, which is needed directly for mating. Before copulation, the male must transfer sperm from the primary organ to the secondary organ.

Then he grabs the female by the head using pincers at the end of the headboard. During copulation, the female curls the end of her buttock towards the male's secondary reproductive organ. If the female has already been fertilized by another male before copulation, then the male removes his sperm from the genital opening with a sharp flagellum at the end of the penis.

The female lays eggs, often in the company of the male, who holds her with pincers. She lays her eggs differently depending on the species, sometimes directly into the water, into aquatic plants, or onto trees above the water. In some species (order Lepidoptera), when laying eggs, the female, together with the male, descends under water in an air bubble (for example, an annular core).

Underwater, they can descend to depths approaching one meter and remain there for up to one hour. Dragonflies, when laying eggs above the surface of the water, are guided by its shine in the sun, so sometimes they can lay eggs on the shiny body of a car.

Reproduction of dragonflies

Grandfathers

Among the features of these dragonflies are the variegated coloration, widely spaced eyes and the presence of a notch at the base of the hind wings in males.

Grandfathers are capable of long flights and prefer flowing reservoirs with clean water, where females lay eggs directly in flight.

Common dedka, tailed dedka and horned dedka are the most common species of dragonflies in Central Russia. These names sound funny (as well as “metal grandmother” or “bronze grandmother”), but you need to keep in mind that grandfathers are also called rivermen, and grandmothers – patrolmen.

The Common Dedka is a black and yellow dragonfly with transparent wings. The coloring is vaguely reminiscent of wasp.

Dedok larvae are voracious, strong and can burrow into soft mud. And adult grandfathers, oddly enough, are short-lived. They live no longer than a month.

Lifestyle and habitat

Dragonflies live in almost all corners of the globe; they are not found only in Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland and the islands of the Arctic Ocean. The wide distribution area is due to the ancient origin of insects, their ability to move quickly and over long distances, as well as the lack of food specialization.

Insects prefer warm regions with high humidity. Dragonflies live only in those areas where periods with stable negative temperatures last no more than 90-120 days.

The habitat of dragonflies is closely related to water bodies, since it is on water that females lay their eggs. The choice of pond is largely determined by the type of insect. These can be lakes, rivers, ponds and even flooded ravines or pits. The larvae, emerging from the eggs, grow and develop in water, and the adult dragonfly, having laid a clutch, can remain nearby or fly away over a long distance, measured in hundreds of kilometers, and most often the flights are made alone.

You can meet a dragonfly in nature in any open area, for example, on a forest edge or in a meadow. This is due to the fact that it is very important for the insect to be exposed to the sun. Dragonflies are diurnal, going out to hunt in the morning or evening. As night approaches, they hide in the grass or in the crown of trees.