Some of the most mobile large insects – a dragonfly – the true hunters. Possessing wings, powerful for their class, they literally cut air in a pursuit of production.
Insect scalesSmall scales calledof dragonflies in the ancient time for their flight and type of wings which are spread horizontally in air. Today population of dragonflies is promptly reduced, it is connected and with bad ecology, and with change of climate. Dragonflies are thermophilic: they need high temperature of water and air for activity and reproduction. They are exacting to area flora, give preference to marshy and water meadows where there is a lot of livelihood.
Not possibly, but fact: the dragonfly can hunt an object many times more largely than. Big individuals attack even small frogs or whitebaits.
Dragonfly – a predator. She eats the flying midges in abundance inhabiting swamps and coastal territories of the rivers, lakes. Thanks to huge eyes and wide-angle capture of the picture, the insect can see the victim at distance to 12 meters. At the same time the location of the last actually does not matter, the dragonfly is able to fly the back and to see all that happens at her around a tail.
Jaw of a dragonfly rather powerful, and teeth remind files therefore mosquitoes and flies, the taken prisoner dragonflies, perish almost instantly, being perekushenny in half. The dragonfly is quick to grasp the victim paws which thanks to mobile bristles as if lock it in a vice of own body. Is in flight the insect cannot. Therefore lands with production on the next large travina or a leaf. The main diet of dragonflies consists from: - mayflies, - a vesnyanok, - caddis flies, - Neuroptera, - Lepidoptera. However the big share in food is occupied nevertheless by dipterous insects.
Nymph's foodThe dragonfly breeds by means of a laying of eggs from which nymphs hatch. They lead exclusively underwater life for one and a half years, eating exclusively water fleas, tadpoles, larvae of other underwater inhabitants. "Child" of a dragonfly is extremely gluttonous in view of the fact that consumes a large amount of energy, quickly, promptly moving. Besides larvae and nymphs change skin of 10-15 times during life, and these are enormous expenditure of energy.
Unique nymphs live longer than dragonflies. Life cycle of a dragonfly – 6 weeks, the nymph – 5 years.
Not pads or ability to float breakthroughs due to emission of water from a little body as many think, and unique body – a lip which is located under "chin" help to hunt to nymphs. A lip the nymph literally captures a small insect and sends to a mouth.