Odondata (Dragon) and Damsel Flies

These are from medium big to big insects. They have huge eyes, and a long, stick like body. These species have lots of local names, and many of those names tells us about the inhabitants views and old beliefs on these insects.

The Odondatii is among our oldest insects. Fossils 280 million years old shows that their body form was exactly the same then as it is today. It is said that they came fully finished out of the head of Jupiter. Among the fossils there is a specie with a wing span of 70 cm., the absolute Largest insect we know of. The species living today have a wing span up till 20 cm.

Two orders

Adult Libelle
 Libelle nymph
There are two orders of these insects, the libellii (Anisoptera) and the water nymphs (Zygoptera), that differs in many ways, also when it comes to wingspan and growth. The y have a lot of beautiful colors, and those are caused by either pigment or structural colors.

The Odondatas is predators, and they are well adapted to this. The eyes contains up till 30 000 facets, and have two different kind of lenses. The upper are small and originate movement, while the lower eye have bigger lenses that originate the surroundings.

The antennae are short, and the mouth is made for biting with huge teeth. Due to the placement of the legs, they form a trap net while stretched forward. The wings can be moved independently, and the Odonatii are excellent flyers. During the hunting they can perform extremely short curves. First and foremost it is the libelles that are such excellent flyers. They both trap and eat their food in the air. In the insect world the libelles is the same as the eagles and falcons among the birds. Normally they feed on smaller insects, and they have their own revere where they do their hunting. A revere they seem to have to fight for every day.
 
 

Most of these can be found around High Lakes, and valley Marsh Lands

Argia moesta (Damsel fly) Argia sedula  Gomphoides stimgatus 
Libellula croceipennis female  Macromia annulata 

The Water nymphs has a more vingeling flight, but is also supposed to trap their victims in air, but they eat their food sitting on the ground. They are often sitting in the vegetation on the shoreline, and are trapping a lot of their food here.

We find Odonatii everywhere. By small and big lakes, rivers and creeks, especially on sunny days. To be able to fly their body temperature must be higher than the surroundings, and to heat the body they can be seen sitting on rocks in the sun.  And they will not be disturbed during this heating process.
 
 

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