The dragonfly is a flying insect that has particularly large eyes, a long body and two pairs of wings. The pairs of wings can be moved independently of each other, allowing the dragonfly to stand in the air like a helicopter, fly backwards or change direction very quickly. Dragonflies are among the fastest flying insects in the world, the largest species can have a wingspan of 19cm. The large facet eyes can consist of up to 30,000 individual eyes. In addition, dragonflies have small spot eyes, which presumably serve to maintain balance in flight. Dragonflies are probably the insects with the best eyesight.

Contrary to what is often assumed, dragonflies cannot sting and are not poisonous. They are harmless to humans. They catch other insects in flight, e.g. near water or on meadows. They grab and hold their prey during flight with their forelegs.

The larvae of dragonflies live in water and feed on other water insects, mosquito larvae, gammarus shrimp or small tadpoles and fish larvae. The food is captured with a special organ, the so-called catch mask, which is hidden neatly folded below the head when in a lurking position.

The wings of the dragonflies are particularly interesting because they are very mobile and very stable due to strong veining. Between the veins, the wing is stretched in a zigzag fashion. The dark spots at the edge of the wings can be filled with body fluid to adjust balance in flight, just like a trim tank on an airplane.

Some information in this copy may have been obtained from the online resource: Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.

Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly