How many species of Odonata are there?
How many species of Odonata are there?
Odonata consists of three groups: Anisoptera (which includes dragonflies), Zygoptera (which includes damselflies), and Anisozygoptera (a relict group represented by only two living species. This order is very diverse with about 5000 species, and its members are easy to observe.
What common insect belongs to the order Odonata?
dragonflies
Order Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies) These insects have an incomplete metamorphosis. The nymphs or naiads are aquatic and predaceous, feeding on other aquatic insect larvae, tadpoles, and small fish. Prey is caught using a long labium armed with opposing sharp teeth.
How old are Odonata?
The odonates have an unusually long and rich fossil record. Ancestors date from more than 300 million years ago (the Late Carboniferous Epoch) and predate the dinosaurs by nearly 100 million years.
Are mayflies Odonata?
Mayflies. Ephemeroptera is a group of 2,000 insect species commonly known as mayflies. Ephemeroptera and Odonata are the only extant orders of winged insects in the infraclass Paleoptera.
Are Odonata pests?
Although large numbers of mosquitoes and other insect pests are consumed by larvae and adults, odonates are generally indiscriminate feeders that seldom affect humans economically.
What is the smallest dragonfly in the world?
Nannophya pygmaea
Nannophya pygmaea is the smallest known dragonfly, mostly found in Southeast Asia and tropical parts of China. Previous records show that the body lengths of adults measured between 17 and 19 mm.
How fast can dragonflies fly mph?
In general, large dragonflies like the hawkers have a maximum speed of 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph) with average cruising speed of about 16 km/h (9.9 mph). Dragonflies can travel at 100 body-lengths per second in forward flight, and three lengths per second backwards.
What kind of insects are in the Odonata order?
Odonata is an order of flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies. Like most other flying insects (flies, beetles, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera), they evolved in the early Mesozoic era.
What kind of mouthparts does an Odonata have?
Immature Odonata have chewing mouthparts. Naiads have elongated extensible labium with piercing jaws used to capture prey. Dragonflies naiads have elongate or flattened bodies the do not have flattened tail like projections. Damselflies naiads have elongate tails with three flattened tails. Both the adults and the naiads feed on insects.
How many species of dragonflies are there in Odonata?
Odonata consists of three groups: Anisoptera(which includes dragonflies), Zygoptera(which includes damselflies), and Anisozygoptera(a relict group represented by only two living species. This order is very diverse with about 5000 species, and its members are easy to observe.
What kind of life does an Odonata have?
Adult Odonata can be found from April until November, with the life span of an individual lasting no more than a few weeks. Adult Odonata are exclusively entomophagous (they eat insects), catching their prey on the wing, and will seize anything small enough for them to tackle.
