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The dragonfly

Taken in our garden. Sitting on the finger of our son Felix...

This was a big one !

 

A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata. It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body (look above !!!).

Dragonflies typically eat mosquitoes, midges and other small insects like flies, bees, and butterflies. They are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands because their larvae, known as " nymphs ", are aquatic. Dragonflies do not normally bite or sting humans (though they will bite in order to escape).

In fact, they are valued as a predator that helps control the populations of harmful insects, such as mosquitoes. It is because of this that dragonflies are sometimes called " mosquito hawks " in North America along with the Crane Fly (which, in fact, does not eat mosquitoes).

 

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Uploaded on December 30, 2005