Wednesday 27 July 2016

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DRAGONFLY AND A DAMSELFLY?


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Dragonflies and damselflies are often found along riverbanks, ponds and lakes on sunny summer days, patrolling the area and snatch small insects out of the sky. Sometimes females can be spotted laying their eggs on a stem in the water by dipping their abdomen on the surface of the water.

 Dragonflies and damselflies belong to the insect order known as Odonata, meaning toothed jaw as they have serrated mouth parts..Both share the same life cycle, transforming from egg to nymph to a flying adult. However there are some key differences that distinguish the two, including the wing shape, position of the wings at rest, the eyes and body shape.

 Dragonflies
Dragonflies are big and powerful flying insects, and patrol their area at speed. They can often be founds flying well away from water. 

 You can distinguish a dragonfly by its thick body, the wings held out horizontal while at rest, the eyes that wrap around to the front of the head, and the broad wings that get thicker from tip to base.  

 Dragonflies belong to the sub-order Anisoptera, meaning unequal-winged. The dragonfly has two sets of wings, one behind the other,  that can be used in tandem or independently. Their hind wings are shorter and broader than their fore wings. Dragonflies hold their wings out perpendicular to their bodies when resting, like an air plane. 

Dragonflies have much larger eyes than damselflies, with the eyes taking up most of the head as they wrap around from the side to the front of the face. 
Dragonflies have bulkier bodies than damselflies, with a shorter, thicker appearance. 

 Damselflies
Damselflies are small, weakly flying insects that stay close to the water margins or water surface. They can be distinguished from dragonflies as they have a much thinner body, eyes that sit at the side of the head, and narrower wings that taper at the base and which are held together above the body. 

 Damselflies are more slender than dragonflies and fold their wings up when they land. 

 Damselflies are insect in the sub-order Zygoptera, meaning yoke-winged. Like dragonflies they also have two sets of wings, but they are equal in size and the same shape for both sets, tapering down as they join the body. Damselflies fold their wings up and hold them together across the top of their backs when they are resting. 

 The eyes of a damselfly are large, but there is always a gap of space between them.
Damselflies have a very narrow, twig like body, whilst dragonflies are thick and stocky. 


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