Going back about 300 million years ago, dragonflies were among the first insects to live on this planet. Evolution has helped them perfect their skills of flying, hunting and becoming amazing with their eye-catching, attractive appearance. However, few people know that dragonflies are also fierce predators, they have very sharp lower jaws, a viewing angle of about 360 degrees and can fly backwards. Here are 7 facts that will change your mind about this unique, ancient insect:
1 Dragonfly can intercept its prey in mid-air
Dragonflies are terrifying if you're a mosquito, midges, or other tiny bugs. They don't simply chase their prey. Instead, they intercept their prey mid-air with aerial ambushes. Dragonflies can gauge the speed and trajectory of their prey, adjust their flight direction, and then intercept them. Due to such skillful skills, in the hunt of dragonflies, the success rate is 95%.
The New York Times reported:
A research team has confirmed that the nervous system of dragonflies can focus and clearly locate a target even though that prey is flying among their moving swarm in large numbers. This is like walking into a noisy restaurant but still being able to focus on talking and hearing stories from your friends. The researchers also identified a 16-cell type of motherboard that connects to the dragonfly's brain and the flight engine in the ribcage. With the help of that nerve block, dragonflies can track a moving target, calculate a trajectory to intercept them, and finely adjust the path as needed. As a rule, every hunt has its flaws until it's over.
Basically, people often think of "stealth fighter" when referring to dragonflies' ability to hunt quickly, efficiently and intelligently.
2. Dragonflies have extremely sharp lower jaws
With an impressive hunting strategy, it is the dragonfly's ability to rip through its prey that really takes their ability to eat live prey to another level.
Dragonflies and damselflies both belong to the Dragonfly family, which means "those with teeth." The reason for this name is because their lower jaw has teeth. When hunting, dragonflies grab their prey with their feet, rip off their wings with their sharp teeth so they can't escape, and then tear them apart without having to land on the ground.
3. Dragonflies are strange flying creatures
There are few species in the animal kingdom that can match the dragonfly's spectacular flight ability. They have two pairs of wings with muscular chest to be able to work independently. This allows them to change the angle of each wing and exhibit great maneuverability in the air.
Dragonflies can fly in any direction including sideways and backward, and can also hover in a single place for a minute or more. This amazing ability is one of the factors that make up the success of an "air killer" - they can move around their prey from any direction without raising suspicion.
They are not only agile but also very agile as some species of dragonflies can reach a maximum speed of 18 mph (30km/h). They are also known for their ingenuity and endurance. Some species are known as the global daredevils – Dragonflies, because they can fly across oceans during their migrations up to 11,000 miles (>17,000 km) and earn the status of migratory insects. longest in the world.
With its speed, distance and versatility when it comes to hunting, dragonflies are among the most extraordinary animals on the planet.
4. The dragonfly's head is where all the eyes are
If you look at the head of a dragonfly, you can notice something very special. In other words, there are more than 30,000 special things.
The dragonfly's head region is essentially their massive eye complex containing 30,000 different facets, each of which carries information about their surroundings. Dragonflies have 360 degree vision and only one blind spot behind them. This extraordinary vision is one of the reasons why they can easily observe a single prey in a swarm of insects and follow them to avoid colliding with other insects.
Not only do they have a special vision, but they can see the world in colors we can't even imagine. According to New Scientist:
Humans have tricolor vision, meaning the colors we see are a combination of red, blue, and green. This is due to three light-sensitive proteins in our eyes, called opsins. We are not alone: for there is also two- and four-color vision that exists mainly in the animal kingdom, from mammals to birds and insects. A study of 12 species of dragonflies found that each had less than 11 types of opsins, and some larger species had 30 different types of opsins.
5. Dragonflies can live 2 years underwater
Dragonflies lay their eggs in water, and when the larvae hatch, they live in the water for two years. In fact, depending on altitude and range, some species can stay in the larval state for up to six years. They will molt up to 17 times until grown and ready to swim to the surface and transform into the dragonflies we see in the air.
They are especially adapted to aquatic life at this stage with their hunting ability and lightning speed. They eat a variety of foods, including insect larvae, tadpoles, and fish! And sometimes they also eat other dragonfly larvae. These guys are also powerful predators. You can learn more about the larval stage in the video below
6. Some dragonflies lay eggs in salt water
Entomologist Chris Goforth writes: “There are very few insects that live in the ocean. Several ideas have come up as to why…but one obvious reason is that seawater is very salty and some insects cannot survive in that environment.
This does not appear to be a problem for dragonflies. Some species, such as the coastal dragonfly (Erythrodiplax berenicei) can successfully produce offspring in environments many times more saline than seawater. "Indeed, the coastal dragonfly is a species characterized by its habitats including salt marshes, mangroves, and salt lakes.
7. You can visit dragonfly shelters around the world
Dragonflies need to be protected from man-made dangers, from pollution to habitat loss. Fortunately, there are many protected areas around the world.
The UK had its first dragonfly sanctuary, the Dragonfly Centre, in 2009.
According to the Guardian, “Located in the Wicken Fen nature reserve in Cambridgeshire, this new center hopes to reverse the decline of 42 species found in the UK. Conservationists are blaming the decline on the loss of wetlands, pesticides and their impact on farmland. "
Dragonfly lovers can visit a sanctuary in the southwestern United States. The Dragonfly Sanctuary in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was the nation's first protected pond and home to the most diverse species of dragonflies.
Across the Pacific, dragonfly lovers can see this creature first-hand in many of Japan's wildlife sanctuaries. They were created to ensure the dragonfly's habitat as well as its diversity.
Dragonflies perform the very interesting task of helping humans control the number of insects, especially those that cause us the most harm, such as mosquitoes and flies. They also inspire us to create new technologies based on their incredible flying skills and vision. The smallest thing we humans can do is to support the conservation of dragonfly habitat so that they can continue to exist for another 300 million years.
