insect: 2008

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Dragonfly Delight: Superb Macrophotography

The sight of a dragonfly on the wing is one of the more remarkable that nature has to offer. Here, with the help of some astounding macrophotography, we take a look at the life cycle of the dragonfly as well as its remarkable and unusual physiology.

The gorgeous colors of a dragonfly - these majestic insects of the air have been a source of inspiration - and fear - to people for thousands of years. The order to which they belong is called Odonata. Many people regularly go ‘oding' just as others go birding or butterfly collecting. Their life is cycle as unusual as their looks are striking.

The wings may look fragile to the human eye but they are incredibly strong. They are incredibly fast, versatile and can maneuver in ways that we can only imagine. The control that they have is such that they can seem to change direction in an instant.

The female Emperor Dragonfly lays her eggs, which is known as ovispositioning. The Emperor mates in the trees. Their nymph form - as with every other species of dragonfly - breathes in the water using gills - unusually positioned in their rectum! They can even increase their underwater speed by shooting water through their anus and giving themselves massive propulsion as a result.