DRAGONFLY IN THE SUNLIGHT
Order Odonata
DESCRIPTION
Dragonflies are remarkable flying insects with large compound eyes, long slender bodies and two pairs of transparent wings. Their wings can move independently, giving them exceptional control in the air. This dragonfly has beautiful golden and dark markings along its body and wings.
QUICK FACTS
• Dragonflies have existed for more than 300 million years.
• They have four wings that can move independently.
• They can fly forwards, backwards, sideways and hover in one spot.
• Their enormous compound eyes give them excellent vision.
• Most of a dragonfly’s life is actually spent underwater as a nymph.
• When ready to become an adult, the nymph climbs out of the water and the dragonfly emerges from its old skin.
• Dragonflies help control populations of mosquitoes and other small insects.
WHERE IT LIVES
Dragonflies are usually found around freshwater habitats including billabongs, wetlands, creeks, swamps and floodplains. They are a familiar sight around the wetlands of Kakadu National Park, particularly during the warmer and wetter months.
WHAT IT EATS
Dragonflies are predators. Adults catch small flying insects including mosquitoes, midges and flies while in flight. Their young, called nymphs, live underwater and hunt other small aquatic animals.
PETE'S PHOTO STORY
It is amazing what a camera can reveal in something we normally see darting past in a second. This dragonfly stopped on the end of a dried stem just long enough for the sunlight to catch it. Against the dark background, every detail suddenly stood out, from the huge eyes and delicate network of veins in the wings to the golden markings along its body. Moments like this are why I enjoy looking closely at even the smallest wildlife around Kakadu.