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Bent

Posted by Organik Mum (Victoria, Australia) on 20 September 2007 in Animal & Insect and Portfolio.

Dragonflies belong to an order of insects known as the Odonata. They are living fossils. A fossil in rock found of a dragonfly has remained unchanged for over 300 million years, to which the fossils age was estimated.

Dragonflies (Anisoptera) tend to be the larger of the two, much for robust and more powerful fliers. The head is more spherical and consists almost entirely of a huge pair of eyes. The front and back wings are dissimilar in shape and are normally held open whilst the dragonfly is at rest.

Damselflies (Zygoptera) are very delicate, slender insects, weak and fluttering in flight. The head is rectangular and large eyes are positioned on either side, a bit like a hammerhead. The front and back wings are the same shape and are normally held closed along the abdomen when the damselfly is at rest.

The dragonfly keeps its body cool by resting in a vertical position. It keeps warm by resting in a horizontal position.
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