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Dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera) are heavy-bodied, strong-flying insects that hold their wings horizontally both in flight and at rest. By contrast, damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) have slender bodies and fly more weakly; most species fold their wings over the abdomen when stationary, and the eyes are well separated on the sides of the head.
The naiads live in the debris of the bottoms of lakes and ponds. They do not actively pursue prey but wait for it to pass by, a strategy which affords them protection from other predators. The naiads emerge from the water to make the transition to adult dragonflies at night. Adults fly from early August through October.
The size of flying insects ranges from about 20 micrograms to about 3 grams. As insect body mass increases, wing area increases and wing beat frequency decreases. For larger insects, the Reynolds number (Re) may be as high as 10000, where flow is starting to become turbulent. For smaller insects, it may be as low as 10.
The shadow darner naiad feeds on a wide variety of aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae, other aquatic fly larvae, mayfly larvae, and freshwater shrimp. They also feed on small fish and tadpoles. This adult will eat almost any soft-bodied flying insect, including mosquitoes, flies, butterflies, moths, mayflies, and stoneflies.
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The immature meadowhawk dragonflies feed on various organisms that can be found in aquatic environments. Some of their prey items include fly larvae, mosquito larvae, mayfly larvae, shrimp, and small fish. The adult meadowhawks feed on smaller, typically flying insects. This, for example, includes mosquitoes, flies, moths, and mayflies.
Their flight is very fast as they dart and dive above the water. They are very territorial and will fight with rival males and any other dragonflies they happen to encounter. They characteristically return to a favoured perch, in the sun. When a female enters a male's territory the male will fly up and grab the female.
Emperor dragonflies can also be recognised by their flight patterns: they often fly with their abdomen hanging slightly downwards. [ 2 ] [ 8 ] One of the largest species in Europe, the emperor dragonfly is exceeded by magnificent emperor , which occurs only marginally in the east Mediterranean [ 9 ] and in length by females of the golden-ringed ...