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Dragonflies (Ordonata)

Dragonflies are one of the largest and oldest living insects. Dragonflies have an essential role as both predators, especially of mosquitoes, and as prey for birds and fish. Adult dragonflies eat other insects, such as flies, gnats, mosquitoes, and even smaller ones [1, 2].

Dragonflies require stable oxygen levels and clean water and respond rapidly to environmental disturbances. Therefore, we often use them as bioindicators to examine the health of an ecosystem [4]. Dragonflies depend on freshwater during their larval development [5]. They are, therefore, threatened by the destruction of freshwater habitats, especially ponds, bogs and marshes, by pollution and alien vegetation [3].

Key Functions

● Pollinators

● Decomposers

● Eco-balance

● Predators

● Parasites

● Food for other animals

Threat

● Habitat changes, especially destruction of freshwater habitats

Common Species

We can find about 5,700 known species of dragonflies on all continents except Antarctica, but most of these live in the tropics. In Europe, we have 138 species; in Sweden, 63 species have been observed, and 58 species occur regularly [6].

Some species to discover in nature:

● Four-spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata)
iNaturalist – Four-spotted Skimmer “”””

● Brown Hawker (Aeshna grandis)
Naturespot – Brown Hawker “”””

● Red and Blue Damselflies (Coenagrionidae)
Naturespot – Red and Blue damselflies “”””

● Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo)
Artfakta – Beautiful Demoiselle “”””

● Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Wikipedia – Common Blue Damselfly “”””

● Blue Featherfleg /White-legged DAmselfly (Platycnemis pennipes)
Grida Arendal – Blue Featherfleg or White-legged damselfly “”””

● Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum)
Naturspot – Ruddy Darter “”””

● Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa)
Wikipedia – Emerald Damselfly “”””

● Downy emerald (Cordulia aenea)
British Dragonfly Society – Downy Emerald “”””

● Southern Hawker (Aeshna Cyanea)
Naturspot – Southern Hawker “”””

Sources

  1. National Geographics – Dragonflies – Damselflies 

  2. Artfakta – Dragonflies 

  3. Science Direct – Odonata enter the biodiversity crisis debate: – The first global assessment of an insect group 

  4. The Nature Education – Bioindicators: Using Organisms to Measure Environmental Impacts 

  5. Buglife – Freshwater Invertebrates  

  6. Britannica – Facts about Ordenata – Dragonflies 

JMay 2022, TÄNKOM | Revised February 2024 RETHINK